Unwanted
by PrincessHera
Summary: The final battle did not go as planned, and now the Cullen's are moving. Edward and Jacob meet Musette, another human with an unusual gift. And so begins another chapter of friendship, romance, and horror. Jacob/OC
1. Prologue & Chapter 1: Jerk

_Disclaimer__: I do not own any of the rights to the __Twilight Saga __or its characters. All intellectual and financial rights belong to Stephenie Meyer, author of __Twilight__, __New Moon,__ Eclipse,__ and __Breaking Dawn__. Also the futures of some characters may have been altered to coincide with the story._

***Since it's been so long, I went back through and made some small, insignificant editing on the chapter. Feel free to check it out...though not a whole lot changed really.**

**Unwanted**

Prologue- Edward Cullen_(point-of-view)_

The battle had not gone as planned. Contrary to our attempts, the Volturi did not stop to see what my daughter had to show them. Bella's rage at the situation distracted her. She'd barely gained control of the ability to shield others in the last couple of days. Bella's emotions led to a break in her concentration; and though she managed to cast a shield, the shield had numerous gaps.

Aro and Caius attacked, along with their guard. In her state of fear and distress, Bella had abandoned the plan and grabbed Renesmee from Jacob's back before he could stop her. She managed to kill Caius before Alec and Demetri took her down, ripping her to shreds. As the unbearable scene unfolded, I ran as fast as I could, Jacob at my heels, to save my baby girl.

But we were too late. Renesmee's body lay a few feet from her head. It was more than I could bear. Jacob and I went both went into a fierce rage. Along with the rest of our army, we managed to kill Jane, Alec, Renata and another half of the guard, plus Caius' wife Athenodora. Finally, what was left of the Volturi army retreated and returned to Volterra.

Our side had suffered losses as well. Tanya, Senna, Benjamin, and Tia had been killed as well as two of the wolves, Leah and Jared. Then of course there was my wife and daughter.

Afterward, all the remains were burned. I begged Jacob to kill me. In fact, I thought he would want to, certain he would see Bella's and Renesmee's deaths as my fault.

He refused, as did any of his friends. He told me that "we both lost the loves of our lives" and I "deserve to suffer just as much" as he would. He also assured me that he could never trust me again, so he would always be watching my family no matter where we went.

Following the gruesome battle, Alice and Jasper traveled around for awhile. Where? They never really went into details, but my best guess was places from their pasts. I think each of them needed some closure. Then, Rosalie and Emmett, they settled for awhile up North. Rosalie had been nearly as upset as I was about losing Renesmee, and Emmett felt some time alone would benefit Rosalie greatly.

For years I grieved over my wife's and my daughter's deaths. Twenty years to be exact. My heart had been torn to pieces, and I never felt they could ever be put back together. Often, I planned my revenge on the Volturi, but no plan ever seemed cruel enough or possible for that matter.

In August of 2026, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett all returned to Forks. Once the family was back together, Carlisle and Esme announced that it was time to move. They had been wonderful since the battle. Esme let me talk or vent to her whenever I needed to. And Carlisle, well he just let me grieve however I saw fit, hunting, sitting alone in my room, or destroying things (as long as I didn't hurt anyone). They gave me the choice whether or not to come with them to Jamison, Minnesota.

A part of me wanted to stay here and mourn by myself for the rest of my life, but I knew how much that would hurt the family I had left. Thus, I decided it was time for a change. Maybe it would help me forget…a little.

Chapter 1- Jerk

My name is Musette Wells, and my life had been pretty normal up until now. I studied, played in band, sang in choir, went to dances, and hung out with my friends. That is, until August 2026. That's when "they" moved to town.

I woke up the first day of my senior year. Managing to keep myself from hitting the snooze button a third time, I crawled out of bed and ambled down the hallway to the bathroom. I tossed my AC/DC tee and green boy shorts into the hamper and turned on the shower. The steaming water washed the sleep from my face and stiffness from my muscles.

When I was done, I quickly dried off and threw on a pair of jean shorts, a black camisole, a purple half-length flannel shirt, and a pair of black Chuck Taylors. My three-minute makeup regimen and some hair gel to scrunch my wet strands was my usual routine before skidding downstairs and into the kitchen.

Dean sat at the small, round oak dining table munching on a stack of toast.

"Want some?" he offered between bites, holding out a piece slathered in peanut butter.

"Sure thanks." I shot him a grin, inhaled the piece of toast, and poured myself a mug of coffee to take with me.

"In a hurry lil' sis?" he asked through a mouthful of toast and peanut butter.

"Well, it is already seven forty-five bro!" I pointed to the Ford Classics clock on the wall.

"Oh damn! Gotta run." He shot out the door with the rest of his breakfast in one hand and his mechanic's shirt in the other.

I grabbed my empty book bag, wallet, cell phone, and a pair of sunglasses then headed out to my car. I drove a decent five miles over the speed limit in my hot pink 1998 Jeep Wrangler.

With a brother whose life revolved around cars, I got the works. Tricked out wheels, a kick-ass stereo system, a custom paint job, pink underbody lights, and all black leather interior with hot pink chrome accents.

Avenged Sevenfold blasting from my subs, I pulled into the high school parking lot. As luck would have it, I parked right next to Carmen's Red Chevy Cavalier.

"Hey chica!" she called out through an open window. Her door swung open, and she stepped out. Carmen proudly displaying her dark-skin and jet black hair, markers of her Costa Rican heritage. This morning, she was clad in short, red baby doll sundress with a pair of gold flip-flops.

"Cute outfit Carmen." I exclaimed, as I used the Jeep's frame to swing myself out and over my driver's side door.

"Likewise," Carmen replied in an upbeat tone.

As we walked together, I looked up at the red brick building we had sacrificed the past three years to.

Halfway across the lot, James joined us. He sported a pair of ripped jeans and an army green Pink Floyd t-shirt.

"Ready for our last year?" he asked ecstatically, flipping his long blonde ponytail.

"So ready," Carmen sighed.

"Hell yeah," I uttered. Then I reached into my pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. "So schedule swap?"

We traded schedules, a tradition started in middle school. As I scanned the classes of my two best friends, my face dropped.

_No classes together, except band with James and study hall with Carmen._

"We have calculus and chemistry together Carmen." James handed Carmen back her schedule.

"Well, I'll see each of you in one class at least." I gave them a half-smile and returned James's schedule to him.

"Sorry Muse," Carmen shrugged, "but what did you expect? I mean you are Miss 4.0 in all of the advanced classes. At least we will always see each other at lunch."

"True," I nodded feeling better already, "It's not like it really matters much anyway. It's only school. And on the bright side, we got to choose our lockers this year. Mine is 222." I cast a questioning glance over at Carmen.

"223," she announced, "And Zach's is 224."

That girl glowed as those last words came out. Zach and Carmen had been dating for two years and kept a relationship that most people only dream of. On the other hand, James was single and would tell anyone who'd listen that most the girls at this school were too shallow and floozy to ever date.

"I'm in 221." James announced nonchalantly. "Ahhh. A clean slate."

"For all your masterpieces? James Cutter originals." I teased.

"Just you wait. Someday, I'll be famous and you'll be jealous as hell." James smirked.

I smiled up at him. James was honestly the best friend a girl could ever have.

"Oh, there's Zach," Carmen's high-pitched words cut through the crisp morning air. She waved at the tall and tan, black-haired, soccer stud standing beside a beat up old Ford Fiesta.

"See ya later Muse…James," she called out as she rushed into Zach's arms for a good-morning kiss. I looked away, blushing slightly. My feet automatically led me up the familiar path to the West doors of the school, a smile plastered to my face. I could feel that this was the start to an exciting year, and I couldn't wait.

My school was small. Each class consisted of sixty or seventy students, so everybody knew everybody else. This could sometimes be a good thing and sometimes a bad thing.

I reached my locker and spun the dial.

_05-11-08_

_Click!_ The door swung open, revealing my previously prepared locker. Pin-ups of OneRepublic, Eyore, Harry Potter, and Kingdom Hearts papered the inside of the door along with a small magnetic mirror. Inside the locker were three homemade shelves wrapped in newspaper, already stocked with folders, notebooks, pens, pencils, a brush, and a spare tube of chap stick.

I grabbed my yellow folder and notebook, plus a pencil and pen then headed to my first class, Honors English.

Mrs. Hillman greeted me at the door.

"Welcome back Musette. Good summer?"

"Nothing too exciting," I answered as I slid into one of the chairs surrounding a big rectangular table in the center of the classroom.

Once the first bell rang, students began piling in the room, filling the other chairs and leaving on chair open at the head of the table for Mrs. Hillman.

The second bell rang, and Mrs. Hillman took her seat.

"Welcome back and good morning students. Everybody here knows everybody else, but there is one new face in the room." Mrs. Hillman looked down at her lesson plan. "Mr. Edward Cullen. Would you please stand and tell the class a little bit about yourself."

The class turned to where Mrs. Hillman had directed this request. At the far corner of the table a huge guy, white as snow, with short, messy, dark bronze hair stood up. He had grey circles under his golden eyes, and his ripped jeans and tight-fitted long-sleeved tee did nothing to hide his chiseled body.

He looked at the floor as he spoke, his voice low, with no inflection as though he'd rehearsed his introduction a hundred times before. "My name is Edward Cullen. I am seventeen. My parents are Carlisle and Esme Cullen. I have two brothers and two sisters, and I just moved here from Forks, Washington."

He promptly sat back down as a few students clapped awkwardly while the rest just stared.

"Thank you Edward," Mrs. Hillman said brightly, "Alright class. Our first venture this year will be Homer's The Odyssey."

The teacher continued on about how after reading each set of books, we would be graded on in-class discussions. Then, once the book was finished we would all be required to write a five to eight page report. She droned on about guidelines and grading scales until finally…

_**Ring!**_

I pulled out my schedule. Advanced Chemistry next. I returned to my locker, traded out my books, and headed for the Chemistry lab.

Edward Cullen was already seated in the back corner, staring out the window. Mr. Hunter, our Chemistry teacher, walked into the room and immediately started writing notes on the board for us to copy.

Third period was study hall with Carmen. As seniors, our study halls were held in the cafeteria and were unchaperoned.

I brought my first couple of assignments with me. Although, chances are with Carmen around, I'd never get any homework done.

"Saved ya a seat Muse." Carmen kicked out a chair beside her at the circular table.

I collapsed into the red plastic chair.

"How are classes so far?" I inquired.

Carmen closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and faked a loud snore.

I giggled. "That exciting huh?"

"Yup," she replied dully, rifling through the front pocket of her purse.

A few seconds before the bell rang, Edward Cullen stalked in, taking a seat a few tables down in our direct line of vision.

_Why am I not surprised?_

Carmen whistled under her breath and leaned into me. "Hottie alert!" She whispered.

"I guess," I responded faking my uninterest.

"Seriously Muse?" she cried in shock, "You can't tell me you wouldn't love to get the shirt of that perfectly-toned body."

A smile crept across my face.

_His body was pretty amazing. A girl couldn't deny that._

I shook my head. "Carmen. It's not all about looks, and you know it. You should have heard him in English when he introduced himself. He sounded like a freakin' robot."

I looked over in Edward's direction as Carmen pulled out her nail kit. He stared down at his English book, paying no attention to anyone around him.

"And look at him," my voice grew softer, "The guy looks like he doesn't even know the meaning sunlight."

As she filed absentmindedly Carmen gave me a look of disappointment.

"You act like you've already made your decision on the guy…What's his name?"

"Edward."

"Maybe this Edward is a really nice guy." She blew on her curled up right hand. "I think you should go for it."

"Go for it?" I laughed, throwing my head back and turning a few heads.

Our laughter ceased momentarily, that is until giggles broke free now as a result of the students' reactions.

Carmen gained composure. I copied her.

"Well at least introduce yourself. I've seen that look before. You know you want to," Carmen urged.

"Fine. I will."

A few seconds passed; she looked up from her filing and began tapping her left forefinger on the table impatiently. "Well?" She arched one eyebrow.

"Well what?"

"Go on." She tossed her head in the direction of the new guy.

"Now?" I asked, like a child who'd just been told she needed to go clean her room before she could have some ice cream.

"Why not?" Carmen asked, cocking her head.

"Because...because..."

"That's what I thought." She smoothly crossed her arms in front of her.

I searched my brain for a smart ass comment, but unable to find one, I gave in. Straightening up, I combed my fingers gently through the wavy brown locks that fell on my shoulders.

"How do I look?" I flashed Carmen a Hollywood smile.

"Hot chica!"

I rolled my eyes. Then rising from my seat, I shut my textbook and sucked in a deep breath. I strode over to the table where Edward sat, stopping near the seat beside him.

"Hi. I'm Musette."

Edward didn't look up…didn't even blink.

"Hi," he replied in that same mechanical tone.

"Want some company?" I pulled out the chair across from Edward.

"Not really," he droned, and I froze in the middle of sitting down.

_Not really the answer I was expecting._

I stood back up, not bothering to push the chair back into place. "Oh. Okay," I mumbled, somewhat disappointment at this failed attempt, "See you in class then. And welcome to Grant High."

_Asshole!_

I pivoted to face Carmen again. She looked at me questioningly. I shrugged my shoulders, shook my head and walked back over. Not sure what to say, Carmen pulled out a bottle of nail polish and focused extra hard on making each brush stroke perfect. For me, the rest of study hall was spent picturing how I would have liked my introduction with Edward to have gone. In one scenario he said, "Yes", and we hit it off, chatting away for the rest of the hour. In another, he said "No" like before, and I yelled "Jerk!", slapped him square across the cheek, and stormed off. That last vision made me laugh out loud, resulting in a peculiar look from Carmen.

In the midst of my daydreaming, I did notice Edward give me a couple of funny quick stares before returning to his reading.

A couple more classes slid by, each one with Edward quietly listened in the back of the room. At lunch, I sat with James while Carmen joined Zach and the soccer team at their table.

"So I'm working on this collage. Probably my best piece of work yet," James boasted through bites of mashed potatoes.

I picked up a chicken nugget. "Awesome! I can't wait to see it when it's finished."

James nodded while chewing a forkful of green beans.

"So Carmen told me about your failure to launch with the new guy in study hall."

I swallowed my bite of chicken.

"Oh did she?" I asked in a somewhat accusatory manner.

"Yeah she did. Kind of jerk huh?" James stuffed a nugget into his mouth.

I furrowed my brow. "Yeah. Big time. Who knows though? Maybe he's just shy."

"Yeah. Shy." James lolled sarcastically.

_James was right. Most likely he was a jerk who wasn't interested and who, according to James, wasn't good enough for me._

"Are you interested in him?" James posed this question more seriously and paused for a response. The question caught me off guard.

"I don't know. It's hard for me to be interested in a guy I've hardly said three words to, and who blew me off when I was trying to be nice."

"Hmmm.." James thought about my answer, and we continued eating.

"What do you think?" I asked James. We'd been friends long enough that he knew exactly what I meant by this.

"I think he looks kind of Emo," James shot a glance over at Edward, who was sitting with four other people at this point, "but if you are even a little interested in him, I think you shouldn't give up just yet."

James moved his hand up and down his own bust. "I don't exactly look like a wholesome pick do I?"

"Solid point." I nodded with a grin. "He is really handsome."

Then I placed my hand gently against James' cheek . "Though not nearly as handsome as you of course." I followed it up by batting my eyelashes

He slapped my hand away, laughing, "Shut up."

James grabbed his milk. "I wonder who he's sitting with?"

I turned slightly to get a better look at the group and replied, "Well judging by their equally good looks and inhumanly pale skin, I would say brothers and sisters."

"Wonder where there from?"

"Forks, Washington." I answered matter-of-factly.

"How do you know?"

"Edward said so in English."

"Hmmm." James shrugged and looked down at his empty plate sadly, then over at my half-eaten lunch. I didn't miss the pleading, hungry look in his eyes. "Go ahead," I sighed happily, shoving my tray toward him.

"So bonfire at your house this weekend right?" James asked, wolfing down the remnants of my lunch.

"Absolutely. Friday night at eight. Usual crowd."

"Sweet! I'll bring the tunes."

"'Kay and let everyone know they need to bring their own drinks. But no alcohol, or my brother will whoop their ass in a heartbeat. Oh, and let's leave your Indie Rock collection at home."

"Got it," he sighed in disappointment.

**Ring!**

"See ya later James," I said pushing out my chair and letting James take the two empty trays to the dishwasher.

"Yes you will." He winked and shot me with a "hand gun".

My loud laughs echoed through the cafeteria as I strolled off.

Two more classes with guess who? Yup Edward Cullen. I swear if our schedules weren't carefully designed by the guidance counselor and a specialized computer program, I'd confront him for stalkish behavior.

Finally, the end of the day neared. I walked down to the music hall where my last two classes were held, choir and band.

In choir, the first item on Mr. Hart's agenda was to divide us into voice parts. As usual, I was placed in the Soprano II section. Whether by luck or by fate, I have no clue, one of the girls sitting with Edward at lunch was also placed in the same section as me in the seat on my right. On my other side was one of my friends, Brianna Clay.

"Hey Muse," Brianna nudged my shoulder as a greeting.

"Hey," I replied, still somewhat distracted by the new girl.

Brianna, noticing where my attention lay, tapped the new girl on the shoulder. She turned to face us.

"Muse," she moved her gaze to the new girl, "This is Alice Cullen."

I turned slightly in my chair to look straight at the girl. She was tall with brown hair in a pixie cut, porcelain skin, and she wore a pair of skinny jeans, an army green t-shirt, a brown leather pilot's jacket, and a pair of brown leather high-heeled boots. For a second, I felt like I was about to approach a supermodel but quickly shook the feeling away.

"Hi. I'm Musette. You're new here right?"

She smiled brightly. I couldn't help but notice that she also had the same golden eyes as Edward.

"Yeah. My family and I just moved here."

"Nice to meet you, Alice," I responded, relaxing a little now that I knew she wasn't going to blow me off like Edward did. "What year are you?"

"I'm a Senior. Actually, so are all my brothers and sisters."

My jaw dropped. "Wow. So you're like quintuplets or something?"

She giggled. Her laugh sounded like a bell tinkling. "No, no. Adopted. Our mom couldn't have kids of her own, so her and our dad adopted us one by one."

"Gotcha." I nodded understandingly.

_Now it makes sense. They weren't actually related; though I had to admit It still seemed kinda wrong._

On that note, the director caught the class's attention, and we spent the remainder of the class going through three or four of the songs he'd chosen for our first concert.

Just before the bell rang, Brianna leaned over in her chair. "So Muse? Bonfire on Friday right."

"Yeah."

Taking notice of the interest on Alice's face, I explained, "My friends and I always have a bonfire the first week of school at my house."

Alice nodded a little, "That sounds like fun."

The bonfire wasn't exclusive, and as hostess I felt it would only be right to extend the invitation.

"It's Friday at eight o'clock. Would you wanna come?"

"Sure love to," Alice exclaimed, bouncing in her seat.

"Okay girl. Calm down." I stifled a snigger at her overwhelming excitement. "I live out on Pine Avenue, east of town. It's the only house on that road, so you can't miss it."

"Great! I can't wait!" she shrieked and got up to leave.

Brianna grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her. She turned back around, still smiling.

"Oh and you're brothers and sisters are invited too, if they want to come." Brianna had taken the words right out of my mouth.

"I'll let them know," she promised and skipped out the door.

**Author's Note: I hope the first chapter was enjoyable. I started writing this to build up a more fun, relatable female character. I intend for this story to have comedy, romance, and horror. Much more excitement to come. And reviews inspire me and keep me writing/posting my chapters faster, so please leave your feedback. Thanks.**


	2. Chapter 2: Party Time

Chapter 2- Party Time

The rest of the first week of school pretty much played out the same as the last four years…classes, announcements for athletic tryouts, homework, blah, blah, blah. Alice had become increasingly excited about the party, but we didn't really get much time to talk during choir. And Edward had not spoken to another living soul as far as I could tell.

Friday's weather could not have been more perfect. It was a comfortable seventy degrees outside with overcast skies and no forecast of rain until Saturday night.

After school, I sped home while going through the list of things to do in my head.

_Shower, pick out an outfit, do my hair and makeup, set up logs and folding chairs, eat something before the others arrive._

I whipped into my usual parking spot. Dean's car wasn't beside me, so he wasn't home yet.

I grabbed my bag and slid out of the jeep. Jazzed about the evening, I ran up to the front porch and threw open the door which hit the wall with a huge bang.

_Whoops!_

Upstairs, I threw my book bag onto my bed before heading straight to the bathroom. I took my time beneath the stream of hot water, shaving my legs and conditioning my hair. Once I'd finished, I dried off and wrapped the towel around myself while I set to work on my makeup and choosing an outfit.

Rifling through my closet, I eventually decided upon a skin-tight black t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, green jean jacket that would make my green eyes pop, and of course a pair of Chucks.

After lacing up my shoes, I returned to the bathroom and scrunched my wavy brown hair (with auburn highlights) then threw it up into a messy bun, leaving a few wisps of hair in my face. Lastly, I stuck a black flower in the midst of the bun.

I hurried to my room and over to my closet where I modeled my look in the full-length mirror.

"What's the special occasion?" Dean inquired from my doorway. I twirled around to see him leaning against the door frames sipping on a can of soda.

I did a 360 degree twirl for him then answered excitedly, "The annual Wells start-of-term bonfire."

"Ah, yes. I'd almost forgotten. So I suppose you'll want me to make myself scarce tonight huh?"

"It would be greatly appreciated," I declared sweetly, "but be around okay? Just in case there's trouble."

"As always," Dean assured me, "I'll just be in the living room playing video games with a couple of the guys. Let me know if you need anything."

"Sure thing." I reached over to my dresser and picked out a pair of silver earrings and necklace to go with my ensemble.

"Oh and Muse…" Dean caught my attention again.

"Yeah?"

"You look beautiful."

My feet carried me quickly across the room, and I wrapped my arms around him.

"Thanks Dean. For everything."

He hugged me back, planting a kiss on the top of my head. "No problem." He pulled away then, gripping my forearms. "It's my job right?" We shared that look…a look only we understand. Our eyes full of the longing for the parents that were taken from us much too soon, of the knowing that we were all each other had, and of the responsibility that we held for one another (Dean held more for me since he was older).

"Right," I mustered up a weak smile.

Then he turned and walked downstairs to begin his evening of junk-food bingeing and video gaming.

One last glimpse in the mirror, a deep breath to brush aside the tense moment I had just endured, and I deemed myself party ready. So I descended the stairs to the kitchen.

The clock on the wall read seven o'clock. I scoured the cupboards and decided on a pb&j. with some potato chips. There was a knock on the front door just as I finished putting my empty plate in the dishwasher.

"Come in!" I yelled across the house, knowing it was James.

James entered the kitchen a couple seconds later in his party outfit: a pair of ripped, faded jeans, a dark brown t-shirt, a plaid brown and green button up over shirt, and a slicked back ponytail.

"So where do you want me to set up the equipment?"

"You are using the subs in your trunk right?" I affirmed, washing my hands as I spoke.

"Yeah."

"Okay then just pull around back so the trunk is facing the fire pit."

"Sure thing." He slipped out of the room and I heard the front door open and close.

I exited out the backdoor. The fire pit was ready to go, stockpiled with wood, branches, garbage, and leaves; all it needed was a bit of lighter fluid and a match. But first, I made a trip to the garage to grab five or six folding chairs and carried them back out to the pit.

I began setting up chairs and benches of wooden boards lain across tree stumps.

At seven-forty-five, I grabbed a bottle of lighter fluid and shook it over the pile in the center of a rock wall which formed the fire pit's border. James, now done setting up, struck a match and tossed it carefully at a soaked piece of newspaper in the center.

A gush of flames burst to life.

The roar of the fire died down moments later, and James walked over to his car. He reached inside, pressed a button, and immediately the sounds of Journey blasted from his speakers.

Carmen and Zach were the first to arrive. Then Kayla, Brianna, Christi, and Chelsea drove up in Kayla's Blue Focus. Brad, Aaron, and Tyler pulled up in Brad's beat up old rusty Chevy pick-up. Finally, my special guests arrived, The Cullens…and in a BMW M6.5.

I noticed not all of them showed, only Alice, Edward, and another blond-haired guy who looked like he might have been tweaking.

Small groups formed around the fire where friends chatted, joked, laughed, and even swayed a little to the music.

I walked up to Alice. Without warning she embraced me and cried, "Thank you so much for inviting us."

I gasped, fighting to breathe in and out. "Me *gasp* too."

She let go. I stepped back and turned to the blonde-haired boy.

"And this is?"

"Oh yeah," Alice gestured to him, "This is my boyfriend Jasper."

"Nice to meet you Jasper. I'm Musette." I held out my hand. He didn't smile but hastily grabbed my hand, shook it once, and let go. I noticed Alice give Jasper a scolding look before turning back to me with a huge smile.

"And of course. You've already met Edward," she glanced over at her brown-haired brother.

"Yeah. Sort of," I answered in an annoyed tone.

Alice caught the tension between us. "Well what better way to make new friends than a party. Let's go Jasper." Alice dragged the tall blonde stud off to join one of the groups near the far side of the bonfire, leaving Edward and I standing there awkwardly.

"She's very bubbly," I stated, hoping to get some sort of response from Edward.

"Yeah," he murmured, casting a glance at Alice who was currently chatting the ears off Brad, James, and Chelsea. I did, however, notice a small smirk in his eyes.

"Well gotta be a good hostess," I excused myself and walked over to Aaron, Carmen, and Zach, joining in the conversation.

After about fifteen minutes or so, Carmen skipped over to her car and returned with an empty beer bottle. She wiggled it tantalizingly in front of the group.

"What do you say guys?...Tradition?"

Chelsea rolled her eyes. "Really? Carmen, we're Seniors. Aren't we a bit old for spin the bottle?"

Aaron piped up, "No way. This may be our last chance to see girl on girl action."

I chuckled, "You do realize, Aaron, that there could be guy on guy action too. Personally, I'm rooting for you and Tyler."

"Gross," Chelsea grimaced.

"I'm in," Kayla wandered over.

"Us too," Brianna called out, leading Christi, Tyler, and Brad in our direction.

"Never heard of the game," Alice chimed eagerly, "How do you play?"

"Easy," Carmen replied, "You spin the bottle and whoever it lands on is who you have to kiss."

Alice listened as Carmen described the game but looked a bit disappointed by the time she was done."Jasper and I will just watch for now," she stated firmly. Then she turned to Edward, who was leaning against their BMW, watching the scene.

"But Edward will play." She pushed him toward the huddle of friends. He glared at her. "Fine."

Carmen took charge and instructed the group. "Okay, everyone in a circle. Stagger yourselves."

We all spread out into a perfect circle, organizing ourselves: boy, girl, boy, girl. Carmen walked to the center and set the bottle down then returned to her place in the circle.

"Kayla, you first," Carmen called out.

Kayla rolled her shoulders back and strutted to the middle. She stooped down and hit the neck of the bottle, sending it whirling into a frenzy. After a few seconds, it slowed until finally it came to a stop on….

"Brad!" cried Brianna excitedly.

Brad moved to the middle of the circle facing Kayla.

"Do it right," warned Carmen.

"We know the rules," Brad snapped back, slightly annoyed.

He closed the distance between him and Kayla, taking her long, straight brown hair in his hands and kissing her deeply. She leaned into his tall, muscular form. Ten seconds passed and finally they broke apart.

A few catcalls and whistles erupted causing Kayla to blush as both turned and took their appropriate positions.

"Alright Carmen, you're up," I insisted, leaning over and giving her a slight prod.

"You better land on me babe," Zach cautioned playfully.

She teased back, "Can't make any promises. Just imagine me kissing you no matter who it is."

Carmen kneeled down and grabbed the center, giving it a hard twist. It spun for a good 8 seconds before landing on…

"Zach?" Chelsea griped.

"You fixed it didn't you?" accused Aaron.

"Cheater," I taunted, trying not to smile.

Zach strolled to the center.

"Have some fun with it," I yelled out, now grinning widely.

Zach winked at me. He threw his arms around Carmen, dipped her low to the ground, and shoved his mouth over hers. They shared an overly dramatic, passionate kiss that was never intended for public eyes.

"Whew!" Carmen heaved a loud sigh once he'd straightened her back up.

The group clapped as Zach bowed deeply and led Carmen back to her spot. He pecked her on the cheek then ran back to his empty place in the circle.

"Alright. It's time for a guy to go. Aaron?" Brianna volunteered him.

"Whatever," Aaron shrugged and ambled over to the bottle. He kicked the neck which moved the bottle about three inches facing…

"Tyler!" I screamed breaking down into fits of laughter, and I wasn't the only one.

"No," Aaron protested looking around the circle helplessly, "That didn't count. I kicked the bottle."

Carmen shook her head between chuckles, "It doesn't matter. You have to. It's the rules."

The group started to cheer, clapping their hands. "Aaron!" "Tyler!" "Aaron!" "Tyler!"

"Fine," Aaron shouted over the cheering. He grabbed Tyler, pulled him to the middle, and threw his face in Tyler's. They kissed for a mere three seconds before separating and then spitting and wiping their mouths.

Everyone cheered and patted the boys on the backs for being such good sports.

"Alright then Muse-ette. You're turn," Aaron dared me, popping the syllables of my name.

"Okay Aa-ron," I mimicked back. Though I put on a brave face, kissing always made me nervous. As I padded across the grass, butterflies began sprouting up in my stomach.

I bent low and grasped the bottle, giving it a firm twist. My heart pounded with each second that the bottle turned. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the bottle came to rest. I look up in the direction of the neck.

_Edward Cullen! Oh my gosh! Calm down Muse._

He stood unmoving as the others jabbed at him to "Go on and kiss her."

_Oh please don't make me look like a fool. Just get over here and kiss me. _

His eyes jerked in my direction. He stared straight at me then began moving became more of a task as he drew closer.

_Oh wow. He is so sexy. Don't screw this up Muse._

He kept moving until there was maybe an inch between us. I looked up, and he looked back down at me with an expression that could only be described as curiosity. His firm white hands came to rest on the sides of my face. I noticed the entire group go deadly silent.

_Calm. Muse. Calm._

I closed my eyes. Edward pulled my face to his. Our lips collided. His lips were hard and even colder than his touch; yet, the way they melted into mine was delicate and graceful.

Despite Edward's obvious experience with kissing, I felt tension; he hesitated to bring any depth to the kiss. And the moment our ten second time frame was up, Edward's lips and hands forced me away. I heard those around us clapping as I tried to decipher what exactly his kiss felt like.

_Pain…Fear…It seemed familiar in some way._

Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Edward and I returned to our spots. Luckily, I did not get picked again to kiss anyone. The rest of the game I spent in a daze, preoccupied by my thoughts.

_Damn this Cullen guy is frustrating. I know what a kiss is supposed to feel like, and that was not it. And maybe I'm just imagining things, but I could have sworn he didn't breathe the entire time we were kissing._

Someone prodded me in the side. It was Carmen.

"Hey girl. Wanna dance?"

That was just the distraction I needed to put my frustrations on hold.

"Hey James! Turn up the tunes!" I called out to where he was standing, talking with Zach and Aaron.

"No Prob!" he yelled back and leaned in through his open window. The music went from soft background volume to loud dance party volume. The boys stood together talking or gawking while us girls danced the rest of the night away.

Around midnight, the fire began to die down, and my guests started leaving. Each group said their goodbyes until the Cullens were the only ones left.

Alice gave me another breathless hug."Thank you so much for inviting us Muse."

I choked out, "No problem. It was so much fun. I can't wait to spend more time getting to know you."

_It was true. Alice seemed like a fun person._

She let me go and returned to Jasper's side.

"Yeah thanks," Jasper said, avoiding any contact whatsoever.

"Edward?" Alice beckoned him as her and Jasper climbed into the front seats of their vehicle.

"Coming." He glanced at me with hard eyes and turned without a word, getting into the backseat of the silver car. Alice, who was driving, waved and put the car in reverse then sped out onto the road and out of sight.

I turned around. "Stupid ass boys! I could just …..ugh!" I kicked one of the logs.

_Ow! That was dumb._

Now tired and pretty angry, I really did not feel like cleaning up; so I opted to add party clean-up to my list of chores for tomorrow.

Saturday morning arrived all too quickly, and, as usual, it was chore day. Dean and I each had our portion of the house to clean. Plus, today I also needed to clean the backyard.

I threw back my covers and swung my feet out. Hopping onto the purple carpet, I walked over to my dresser and picked out a pair of black cotton shorts and two beaters, a white one and a red one, to layer over a comfortable black bra. Last, I pulled on a pair of socks and some beat up white tennis shoes.

Ignoring the hairbrush, I combed my fingers through my bed head and threw all my hair up into a haphazard ponytail. A look in the mirror validated that most of my make-up was still intact with the exception of some smeared eyeliner which I wiped away as best I could.

I pounded down the stairs in a feeble attempt to wake Dean and decided to tackle the backyard before cooking up some breakfast. I opened the back door, surveying the damage and nearly tripped over something on the bottom steps…no wait someone.

_Edward Cullen?_

He stood up and moved out of the way to let me pass. I should have been surprised to see him, but I skipped shocked and went straight to pissed off. Still frustrated with his reaction during the game last night and his rudeness at the night's close, I just walked straight past him and began folding up the chairs.

"Can I help you?" he offered already picking up the chair nearest him.

"Whatever," I snapped, closing the chair in my hands extra hard. Once all the chairs were folded, I headed toward the garage. Edward followed.

I hauled the chairs over to the camping equipment and hung them on a makeshift rack; Edward placed his armful there too. And when he turned around I was waiting, hands on hips with the dirtiest stare I could muster.

"Why are you here?" I demanded.

"To help clean up," he said a little too quickly.

"Nu-uh buddy." I folded my arms, getting more pissed off by the second. "That's not why you're here. I want the truth now."

Again, he gave me a somewhat frightened and confused look then answered, "I came to apologize."

I nodded for him to continue.

"I know I acted like a complete jerk this week. It's just. New place. Leaving friends and stuff. You know. Anyway. I had fun last night, and I wanted you to know that." His face softened, and his eyes were full of sincerity.

I felt my muscles begin to relax.

"Really?" I asked, still defensively, just to make sure I wasn't dreaming or imagining things.

"Yeah."

My inhibitions lessened even more, and I began to feel at ease, more like myself.

"That's a relief." I took a seat on a nearby pile of rock salt bags. "Because I was convinced, especially after last night, that you wanted absolutely nothing to do with me."

He leaned up against the wall and stared at the ground. "Yeah. Sorry about that. I was just preoccupied with school and stuff."

_Lying again?_

"Yeah," I scoffed sarcastically, "The Odysseyreally draws me in. When I read the Iliad, I forgot to eat for like a week." I gave him my best _not-buying-it_ look.

"Okay, bad excuse."

"I'm not a big fan of excuses Edward. How about keeping to the truth."

He shook his head. "Can we just leave it at I'm sorry?"

I considered this for a moment. I desperately wanted to pry, buy I knew what it was like to deal with crap you don't want to discuss until you're ready. So I didn't push it.

"Fine," I conceded, "Did you come here just to apologize? Or was there something else? Because I have a lot to get done." I jumped off the bags of rock salt and began towards the backyard again. A door slammed inside the house.

_Dean's up._

"Well the thing is…" he said. I stopped and turned to listen again.

"You're the only person who's approached me at school, and you seem pretty nice."

"Ha!" I let out a loud laugh.

"What?" he asked in puzzlement.

_Just that I'm not "that nice". I did approach him more on a dare than anything else._

"Nothing," I lied and brushed off the topic.

"And I would like to get to know you Musette Wells."

I leaned back in surprise.

"You're quite up front aren't you," I smirked.

"Is that bad?" Edward asked, looking slightly worried.

"Not in this case." I turned once again toward the backyard. "So you helping me clean this up or what?" I summoned Edward over my shoulder.

"Absolutely," he answered back and hurried to catch up.

Both of us continued picking up cans and bottles in silence, throwing them into a large black garbage bag. Edward was so much faster than me; he got three-fourths of the yard done by the time I'd gotten through one-fourth of the mess.

As he placed the garbage bag into one of the recycling bins outside the garage, I wiped off my hands and turned to look at the yard.

"Finished," I said in satisfaction. My stomach gargled. Edward's eyes fell to where the sound emanated from, and I blushed.

"Sorry," I patted my almost flat belly, "I think my stomach's decided it's time to go inside and get some breakfast. Do you want some?"

Edward stood there for a second thinking.

"No I don't think so."

"Okay. See you on Monday then?" I asked with a trace of hope in my question.

_Then again…why wouldn't I see him on Monday?_

"Of course. Monday."

I stood in the back doorway already holding the door open and waiting to wave him off as he pulled away. He didn't move, so I lingered until I could no longer control my urge to whistle the tune to Jeopardy.

"Muse?" Edward interrupted my tune and nervously scraped his pale white fingers through those messy, bronze locks. He caught my gaze, and in his eyes I saw….desperation, fear, and _hope? _That was when I knew what was coming.

"Yes?" I answered back, failing to repress a smirk.

"Would you wanna go out on Wednesday?"

I chose to make him suffer a little.

"Maybe," I played with my fingernails absentmindedly, "what would this night entail?"

"Food, conversation, music, and maybe a movie or something," he answered automatically, shoving his hands deep into his jean pockets.

I faked an unsure look. "Hmmm. I'll have to think about it and let you know. Let me get your cell number. One sec." I ran inside and grabbed my pink Blackberry® off the kitchen table, then ran back outside. "Okay. Ready." I held my phone, thumb positioned to input Edward's new contact information.

"515-422-5555"

My finger unconsciously found the keys as he named off each one. I saved the number under Edward C.

"I'll text you," I reassured him and shot a half-smile his way.

"Okay." He walked over to his car.

"Bye." I called as he opened the driver's side door. He waved back then climbed in and backed out of the driveway. I heard his BMW pick up speed half a mile down the road.

Footsteps behind me turned my attention back to breakfast. Dean entered the kitchen in a pair of jean shorts and flip flops as well as a horrid case of bed-head.

"You're up early. Earlier than usual anyway," Dean yawned into a bawled up fist.

"I wanted to get the yard picked up before getting a jump on the housework." I let the backdoor shut behind me and stepped over to the cupboard, pulling out a box of Pop-Tarts®.

"Did I hear a car pull out a minute ago?" Dean asked, shooting a look out the window above the sink.

"Uh, yeah," I stated the obvious, placing my strawberry pastries into the toaster and pressing them down. "One of the guys from the party offered to help me clean up this morning." I attempted to make it sound like this was no big deal.

"Good," Dean announced to the kitchen, "Those high-school boys need to learn about what working hard and treating a girl right really means."

Dean smiled evilly as the pop-tarts rose, and he snatched them mid-air. To be honest, I found this trick quite impressive.

"Dean! Those were mine!"

He licked the front of each of them, and held them out for me to take.

"Sorry," still grinning, "Here you go."

I rolled my eyes. "Never mind," I sighed, "I'll just make a couple more."

Dean pecked me on the cheek. "Thanks for breakfast baby sis."

"You better be Pop-Tart® thief!" I nudged him with my elbow.

"And proud of it," he grinned widely. I chuckled.

"Okay, Dean, so chores for today…."

Saturday evening, after cleaning all day, I crawled into bed and drowned myself in the creepy yet genius words of Stephen King. This was probably my favorite way to wind down, that and an episode or two of _Supernatural._

Sunday morning, as always, Dean and I attended the little old church on 10th Street. After church, Dean and I always headed over to Val's Diner for lunch. Once we'd finished our pancakes and eggs, Dean drove us home. He took up residence on the couch and I holed up in my room to finish some essays, reading, and math homework.

I sped through my math. I've never been a big fan of such old ways of writing and speaking, so I only managed to stumble through eight more books in The Odyssey. Partway through researching the justices of the Supreme Court for my Government essay, a window popped up. Cameron was online and wanted to chat.

_Perfect reason to take a break._

She headed off the conversation:

**Car27:** Hey Girl.

**Muse08:** Hey. Sup?

**Car27:** N2m. Hangin. You?

**Muse08**: Homework

**Car27:** Hmmm. I should prolly do some of that too.

**Muse08:** LOL. Prolly. So guess who showed up yesterday morning at my house?

**Car27:** Who?

**Muse08**: Edward Cullen.

**Car27:** OMG :O

**Muse08:** I know right. He apologized for being a jerk and said he "wants to get to know me"

**Car27:** Wow! He is so hot.

**Muse08: **Carmen you're so shallow

**Car27:** One of us had gotta be

**Muse08:** LOL. Anyways, he asked me out for Wednesday night.

**Car27:** Tell me you said yes.

**Muse08:** Not yet.

**Car27:** OMG. You have to. Text him right now. What you think Dean will say? Or James? ;(

**Muse08:** I don't know. Prolly not much. It's just a date.

**Car27:** Uh-huh. Well I guess we'll see.

**Muse08:** KK. Enough chit-chat. Go do some homework.

**Car27:** K Mom.

**Muse08:** Cya tmrrow

**Car27:** K Cya Chica

I closed the window, and whipped out my phone. The screen rolled down to Edward C., and I typed a text message. Plain and simple it said "Yes". I pressed send and set the phone aside to finish my essays. Nine o'clock chimed on my clock by the time I'd finished all my homework, and I was starving.

On my way down the stairs, I heard a pounding at the front door.

"Muse, can you get that?" Dean yelled from the living room.

"Yeah," I hollered back, quickening my steps and pulling open the front door.

James barged in, grabbed my forearm, and dragged me into the kitchen looking beyond furious.

"What the?" I shouted, struggling against his grip.

He let go and whipped around to face me. "So when were you planning on telling me that you had a date with that jerk Cullen?"

My temper flared and the features on my face darkened. "I only said yes like two hours ago. How the hell do you know I did?"

"Word gets around. But you should have told me."

"I was gonna. And what right do you have to be mad about it? You said I shouldn't give up on it. Re-Mem-Ber."

He huffed. "I said that because I know you Muse. You don't date. Even the guys you've shown interest in. You never actually go on dates."

"A person can change you know," I spat, "And how do you know he's a jerk anyways?"

"He's a jerk because of the way he treated you and because…." James searched for the words becoming more frustrated by the moment, "…because he…".

"See you don't know him." I stared him down.

"And neither"

"Do I," I finished for him, "I know." By now, I was breathing heavily and my fists were clenched at my sides, showing the white on my knuckles.

"Who don't you know?" Dean asked passing by us and opening the fridge. We both looked at him with death stares that said '_stay out of It'_. He shrugged it off. "I heard yelling."

James tried to respond, but I interjected.

"Don't you dare," I warned James, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Well then you need to," James instructed.

_Yes, I know that James. Why do you have to be right? Why right now?_

Dean had closed the refrigerator door as he obviously found watching the banter between James and I much more entertaining than hunting for food. Exhausted from yelling, I collapsed into a chair.

"What do you need to do Muse?" Dean asked in his best Dad voice.

I breathed deeply and answered, "I have to tell you that I have a date on Wednesday night with the new guy at our school, Edward Cullen."

"And he's a Jerk," James snapped. I shot a look at him that could have cut through steel.

Dean stared intently at the soda in his hand, thinking about who knows what. A few very apprehensive moments passed before he spoke.

"I have to meet him. And I have to approve of the date venue and return time."

_On the bright side, it wasn't a no._

I could have fought Dean on such a stipulation; however, we'd not crossed this particular road since mom and dad died. I knew that he was nervous and just wanted to protect me.

"Fine," I agreed grudgingly, "I'll have him come a little early on Wednesday so you can meet him."

"It's a date," Dean announced and walked out, leaving James and I alone in awkwardness and all its glory.

I sighed, looking up at him. The anger and disappointment etched in his face told me he was less than satisfied with Dean's offer.

"You know you can't always protect me." My tone was softer now, more empathetic.

"Well I'm always gonna try," James, dropping into a chair as well, "After…you know…what happened at camp with Nathan."

My thoughts traveled back to Camp Dantje. Carmen and I had volunteered our summer as counselors at Camp Dantje. The open air, hiking, crafts, kids, swimming, camping, bonfires, it was everything I loved crammed into an eight-week holiday. And to top it all off was Nathan. The perfect man in every way….or so I thought. He was a counselor for one of the boys' cabins and only a year older than I. We'd started dating (well what qualified as dating when you were confined to a camp) a week after we all arrived. As each week passed I fell deeper and deeper under his spell. I was falling in love. On the last night, I told him that I wanted to continue to see him after we left. He was thrilled. We sat alone out on the beach well after midnight under a full moon. The water shimmered, and a light breeze rustled the leaves in the trees above us. We started making out (a pastime that was not new to us). But innocent kisses soon turned into harsh physicality. Nathan slammed me against the ground and started tearing my clothes off. I struggled against him but his hold on me seemed unbreakable. I tried to scream, and he slapped me hard across the face. And to this day, I still think that I saw his eyes gleam red. Then again, I was under quite a bit of stress at the moment. I started to cry and begged him not to rape me, to let go of me, to get off me. His grip loosened at my words. I seized his moment of weakness, jumped up and ran and ran, screaming my lungs out until I'd woken everyone in camp. James had come in the middle of the night to come pick me up. I'd never told Dean what happened or even Cameron. James was the only person I'd ever confided this shameful secret in. Ever since, he'd sworn to protect me from harm like that ever again.

"Nathan the jerk," James finished his thought.

Nathan…so beautiful. He was pale and smooth as porcelain. Well-built, I can only assume, from a strict weight-training schedule. His movements were quick and made with precision. And every detailed feature on his face immaculately carved like a work of art, except for one thing. His dark eyes; the circles under his eyes reminded me of…._Edward!_

My breath caught, and I completely tuned out whatever James was saying.

_Nathan reminded me of Edward. Everything about him: the pale skin, the toned body, the perfect face, and the dark eyes. Oh shit! _

My facial expression must have been a dead give-away that I was thinking about something that scared the hell out of me because James stopped mid-sentenced, and yelled at me.

I blinked, coming back to reality.

"Muse! Hey you okay?" James reached for my hand a looked into my face with deep concern.

I shook my head and tried to make my voice sound normal. I even mustered up a smile.

"Yeah fine. What were you saying?"

"I was saying that I'm always gonna try to protect you."

I laughed softly.

"I know you will, but you gotta let me grow up sometime. I am 18. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm not that horrible to look at."

He smiled. "Yeah. That's one of the biggest problems."

"Well then I guess I'll just have to get uglier huh?"

"It would make things easier."

I laughed. "Well too bad."

He laughed too then returned to his serious expression. "Okay, so you're going on this date. But you call me if there is any problem. And afterward call me and tell me everything."

"Yes sir." I saluted him in true military fashion. He rolled his eyes and rose from the table. "It's getting late, Muse. I think I'll head home now."

"'Kay" I followed him to the front door and locked it behind him before climbing the stairs to my bedroom.

That night my dreams were filled with faces. Just two faces. Edward and Nathan and all of their nearly identical features. I woke with a start the next morning to the high-pitched beeping of my alarm clock. I stared at the ceiling, remembering the nightmares taunting me in the previous hours.

_Something felt very wrong._

_**Authors Note: **_I'm really having a lot of fun writing this story, and I can assure you that your comments/reviews are crucial to motivating me to write faster and better. Please review my story and let me know what you thought. Next Chapter- Chapter 3: Date Night


	3. Chapter 3: Date Night

Chapter 3-Party Time

By Wednesday, the nightmares had ceased and any trace of Nathan drifted to the back of my mind. In fact, I'd been so consumed with schoolwork and musical try-outs (in which I did get a part but more on that later) that I had no energy left to be nervous or excited about my date. At least not until study hall Wednesday morning. Halfway through the period, I looked up from my Advanced Calculus homework to see Edward walking toward the table Carmen and I sat at.

I placed my assignment carefully inside the textbook, marking my page and shut it. Edward put a hand on the chair next to me.

"You mind?" he asked.

At the sound of his voice, Carmen's head jerked up from her magazine, and her eyes widened into saucers. "Muse," she whispered stunned at his sudden presence.

"Yeah sure," I replied without looking up and sending a quick half-smirk in Carmen's direction.

Edward slid into the chair and leaned forward on the table. "So about tonight. I was wondering what you wanted to do?" The question caught me by surprise; I thought he already would have the entire night planned.

"Hmmm," I leaned back, thinking as I chewed on my bottom lip (a quirky habit handed down from dear old Dad). After a minute or so, I offered up my best, _**safest**_ idea.

"How about bowling and pizza?"

Edward's face showed no real interest or disinterest in the suggestion. He just nodded. "That sounds good. Seven o'clock okay?"

"Better come at six-thirty. My brother wants to meet you."

I expected him to look worried or scared. I mean c'mon, big brother interrogating the potential date like a prisoner of war_._ Instead, the information brought a smile to his face. "Understandable."

Carmen had remained silent during the entire exchange, obviously mesmerized by the pale, mysterious male on my right. Her mouth hung open slightly, and I was a little concerned that she might scare him off or start babbling nonsense if I didn't say something.

"Edward," my hand struck her shoulder, "This is one of my best friends Carmen Vega. I don't think you've been formally introduced."

"Hi Carmen," Edward held his powdery palm across the table, "nice to meet you."

Carmen stared at his hand for a second then suddenly snapped out of her trance. "Hi." She shook it. "Nice to meet you too." Her bubbly self came back full-force. "Sorry we didn't get to chat at the bonfire. So much fun though. At least Muse tells me you had fun. But of course you did. I mean you got to kiss Muse….

_And let the endless babble begin._

So you're taking Musette over here on a date huh? I'm so excited for her. You know it's been so long since she's been on a date. I don't think she's ever even had a boyfriend. But not that I'm pushing her either way. You know, I'm the one who told her to go introduce herself the other day. I'm just so glad that things are working out."

A couple of times Edward tried to get a word in, but I knew better. Once Carmen gets started, there's no stopping her until she's out of breath or…

_Ring!_

_Thank you sweet school bell. One more word and I'm not sure I could have kept myself from slapping that girl across the face. _

_She'd get over it._

Carmen jumped up, magazine in hand. "You two kids have fun tonight. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." And she bounced off down the senior hallway.

Edward sat there with a dumbfounded look on his face.

I shrugged, "That's Carmen for ya." I scooted my chair out and rose, holding my textbook on my forearm. Edward didn't budge.

"Aren't you coming to class?"

He lifted his head slightly, but still didn't get up. "I'll be in class on time."

I shook my head. "Alright then." We only had two more minutes before the next bell, and even I was going to be cutting it extra close. But true to his word, and to my amazement, I found Edward already seated in his usual corner when I arrived in American Government. He didn't speak to me the rest of the day, so the remainder of the school day was pretty normal. James didn't even hound me about the evening. He just reminded me to call when the date ended.

After school, I drove straight home and set off doing my homework. The last thing I needed tonight was school looming over my head.

Between logarithms and ionic compounds, I pondered what I would wear tonight.

_My light pink sundress? No, not for bowling_

_Log (3x)= 5/17_

_Ripped jeans and a purple baby doll camisole. Hmmm…naaa jeans might be too warm._

_Fe__2__(SO__4__)__3_

_Blue jean mini-skirt, black cropped leggings, and a black lacy camisole under a small sheer hot pink tee. Perfect!_

At six-o'clock, I heard the familiar sound of Dean's Ford pickup pull up in front of the house and the truck door slam as he got out. I was just putting the finishing touches on my makeup before throwing on my pink Chucks.

Dean trudged up the stairs, looking burned out and covered in oil and grease. I poked my head out of my bedroom still holding the mascara brush in my right hand.

"Dean, my date will be here in a half hour to meet you."

"Alright, lemme get cleaned up a bit." He walked straight into the bathroom and locked the door.

The front doorbell rang at six-thirty sharp. I looked out the window of my room.

_Silver BMW. Definitely Edward._

Dean was already downstairs fixing himself something that smelled a lot like burnt toast. I decided to wait a minute or two before heading down, so I could listen in on the two boys. I heard the initial exchange from inside my doorway.

"Hi. You must be Edward?" Dean said.

"Yes. And you are Musette's brother." Edward didn't pose this as a question but as a matter-of-fact.

"Dean," my brother introduced himself. I pictured the two shaking hands. "Come on in Edward. Have a seat."

"Thank you," Edward said graciously.

Dean raised his voice slightly to make sure it carried upstairs. "Not sure what's keeping Muse."

I took that as my cue, and skidded out into the hallway then down the stairs. As I strode into the living room, Dean ushered me over to the brown leather couch where he sat next to me and kitty-corner from Edward who was in the matching recliner. Edward, yet again, looked as if he'd just stepped off the runway in Paris wearing a pair of faded designer jeans, a lightweight, silver button down shirt (the top two buttons unfastened exposing a bit of ashen chest), and matching silver dress shoes. The ensemble made me start to think that my perhaps my choice in attire had been a bit too casual.

_Maybe they won't notice if I go change into some heels._

"So," Dean started the conversation again, "You just moved to Jamison, Edward?"

"Yeah. My family and I," he answered.

"Where'd you move from?"

"Forks, Washington."

Dean nodded searching for something more to say. He tossed his head toward the window. "That's one nice ride. Expensive. V8?"

Edward smiled, "What else?"

"What kind of stereo system?"

"Bose."

Dean's eyes glistened in awe. "Custom rims?"

"Platinum."

By now, my brother was nearly drooling all over the front of his Metallica t-shirt.

"Sorry to interrupt this intense discussion," I barged in bringing Dean back from car-land, "but we do have plans." He immediately closed his mouth and looked over at me. I gave him a look that said _"Let's get on with this."_

Dean leaned back and spread his arms over the back of the couch. "Down to business." His tone hardened. "Where will you be taking my baby sister tonight?"

Edward turned to me, confirming the answer he was about to give, "Lucky Lanes and Joey's Pizza."

Dean nodded, folding his arms. "And what are your intentions with Muse?"

"Dean!" I barked, "Really? Necessary?"

"Yes. Necessary." He retorted.

"It's okay," Edward put up his hand to stop us, "My intentions tonight are to learn a little more about Musette and to enjoy a beautiful night bowling and eating pizza."

"And that's it?" Dean warned. Not really a question, more a command.

Edward didn't flinch. "That's it."

Dean's face lightened, and he grinned at me. "Well, alright then. You two have a good time and be home by eleven." I rose from the couch. Edward followed, and Dean walked us to the door. Edward held the door open for me.

_How chivalrous._

Then Dean took the door from Edward. He watched us walk out to the car. Edward held the passenger door open for me, and I climbed in. I saw Dean nod at Edward before the screen door of the porch clamped shut behind him. By the time I turned forward, Edward was already sitting in the driver's seat, belt clasped and engine running.

"That was fast!" I gasped in disturbed wonder.

_And kinda creepy._

"I'm a fast guy."

I held back a giggle. Edward realized what he'd said and smiled bashfully. That's when I lost it.

"I hope not too fast." I managed to utter between fits of laughter. Before leaving the driveway, Edward punched a button on the radio and the sounds of Queen began emanating through the speakers.

_Classic._

I sang along with "We Are the Champions" while Edward listened to me, not that I cared. I loved to sing even if I looked stupid doing it, and I totally think that a guy should like me for who I am, good or bad. We pulled into Lucky Lanes just as I hit my last note. I opened my door and again Edward was there standing over me to give me a hand up.

_Okay, that's enough of that. I don't always need help dude._

I ignored the hand and climbed out myself. Edward looked puzzled.

I shrugged, "I thought the hand up was optional."

"So it was," Edward agreed.

Bowling at Lucky Lanes was pretty "normal", for lack of a better description. It was kinda loud, so we didn't really talk much. My shoes were a little too small since bowling shoes never seem to fit right (or smell right), and I bowled an impressive 99 and 102. Edward, well, I was quite impressed with his skills. He managed a 256 and a 278. The music was good, and the atmosphere was cozy which kept me relaxed on the first date I'd been on in a very, very long time.

After turning in our shoes and paying for the two games, (I insisted we go Dutch.) Edward started to lead me back out toward his car. Joey's Pizza sat just down the block, and I didn't see any reason in wasting the gas.

"Let's walk to the restaurant," I suggested. Edward turned to face me, obviously taken aback by my lack of interested in riding in his fancy BMW. "It's such a beautiful night." I leaned my head back, inhaling the crisp night air, threw my arms out, and slowly spun around. "Don't you think?"

Edward watched my performance with a smile, his golden eyes soft and dark. But before he could answer, I grabbed one of his hands and pulled him along beside me on the sidewalk. We walked in silence all the way which was unusual for me. Normally, I loved to hear myself talk. (Well…I do!) But I was at a loss for words.

_Also, no butterflies. I'm not nervous? But something just feels off. _

Edward's grip on my hand tightened as we passed the local bar where a few drunken middle-aged men liked to ogle at innocent young girls.

One of them decided to get mouthy. "Whoa! Look at that skinny, tight little ass."

Another one joined in, "C'mon baby. Drop the white trash and come hang with the big boys."

"Dicks!" I crabbed under my breath.

Edward sent a look in their direction as we passed. I couldn't see his face from where I was, but it must have been one awful look because the men turned snow white and seemed to stop breathing until we'd passed by completely.

"Do they do that a lot?" Edward inquired bitterly.

"Yeah," I rolled my eyes, "It's annoying, but they're all talk."

I snuck a peek at Edward's face; it was creased with hatred.

"Settle down," I rubbed my free hand down his arm. "It's okay. Look we're here."

Sure enough, we were standing at the entrance to the pizza place. I reached out and held the door open for Edward to walk through. He blinked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"What?" I grinned, "It was my turn. Now get in there." I smacked him on the shoulder. He bustled in, though I could tell that my shove had nothing to do with movement.

A cute blonde-haired, blue-eyed hostess who looked about twenty greeted us at the door. Or should I say greeted Edward at the door. "Hi there!" she bubbled, flashing Edward a large extra-white grin. "How many?"

"Two please," Edward responded.

The hostess grabbed two menus and led us over to a corner booth. She handed over our menus as we slid into opposite sides. "Your waitress Tammy will be right over to take your order sir." And the Barbie wannabe bounced off.

I rolled my eyes…._stereotypes._

Examining the menu, I questioned Edward, "So what kind of pizza do you like?"

"Any kind," he answered, not even having glanced at his menu, "You choose."

I considered debating on this; but Edward seemed like he genuinely did not care which meant that we'd still order my choice in the end.

A graceful Asian chic, about the same age as the hostess glided up to our booth, holding a pad and paper. "Hi. I'm Tammy. I'll be your server tonight." She batted her thick, black eyelashes at Edward and directed her greeting at him only. "What can I get for you?"

Edward answered politely, "I'll have water, and my date will have…" He directed his attention over to me forcing the waitress to do the same.

I smiled smugly. "A diet Coke and WE (emphasis on the "We") will have a medium Ranchero pizza."

The waitress scratched the order across the pad and slid it into her apron. She turned back toward Edward. "Are you sure I couldn't interest you in some breadsticks?"

"No thank you." His voice came out flat and uninterested.

"All right then. It will be about fifteen minutes then." I watched her swing her hips and stalk off toward the kitchen, clearly upset by the fact that she'd just been blown off by my date.

_Serves you right. Tramp._

I looked back at Edward who still hadn't taken his eyes off of me. It didn't bother me, maybe it was a little creepy, but still it just didn't bother me. "So do girls always fawn all over you like that?"

"Not all of them," he replied in an irritated tone.

"It's kinda funny to watch." I chuckled.

"I suppose it probably would be," he agreed.

_Okay…change the subject Muse._

"So, Edward. Tell me about yourself."

"Where should I start?" he asked and straightened up in his side of the booth.

"Well, how about your family. Tell me about them."

Edward took a deep breath and began, "Okay. My father is Carlisle. He is a trauma surgeon at the hospital, and he's the rock that holds our family together. My mother Esme stays home and cleans, cooks, etc. She takes care of us kids and loves us all unconditionally. Both Carlisle and Esme are my adopted parents. They couldn't have any kids of their own, so they adopted all of us. I have two older brothers, Emmett and Jasper. Emmett is very athletic, a tough guy, but he's really nice and has a good sense of humor. Jasper keeps to himself, but he's really easy to be around when you want to relax. Then, I have two sisters, Rosalie and Alice. Rosalie is beautiful, but she's also very angry and hard to get along with. Alice…well you've met Alice. And yes, Alice and Jasper are dating as are Emmett and Rosalie."

"Wow. Complex." I said in astonishment, "But they all sound wonderful."

"They are. How about you Muse? Your family?"

Suddenly, our waitress Tammy walked up with two drinks and a large pan. She set the drinks and the pizza in front of us. "Be careful. The pan is hot." Edward nodded, and the girl left without another word. I grabbed a plate and carefully lifted a slice onto it. Edward just sat there.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

He quickly reached for a plate. "Oh, yeah." I dropped a large piece on his plate.

We started eating as I continued the conversation. "My family? First, there's me. Then, there's my older brother Dean. He takes care of me working at Hanson Auto Shop. He's awesome…loves to be outdoors, play video games, and spend time with me. And my parents died in an airplane crash like a year and a half ago."

"I'm sorry," Edward gave me a sympathetic look.

I shook any feeling of nostalgia or sadness away. "Yeah, well, I've gotten past it." I quickly scarfed the last few bites of my pizza and grabbed another slice. "And then there's Carmen and James. Granted, they're not family, but they might as well be. They are my two best friends. Carmen is pretty much your typical teenage girl. She likes to talk gossip, likes boys, likes to party and have a good time. And then James. James is artsy and sensitive. He's an individualist, and I can talk to him about anything…and I mean anything."

Edward nodded. "Family and friends are important." I noticed the sadness that intertwined in his words.

"So you moved from Forks, Washington. Why move from there (though I have no idea where there is) to little old Jamison, Minnesota?"

Edward still held that sad tone, "We lost some good friends back in Forks and just needed to get away from there."

"Now I'm sorry," I mimicked his sympathetic look.

Edward gave me a small smirk. I chewed my pizza silently.

_Well this is going well. First, no talking and now talking about death. Yup, perfect date talk._

I decided to take a risk and ask Edward something that had been irking me since Saturday. "Edward?" he looked up somewhat startled, "Why did you ask me out tonight?"

He sat there silently for a moment. I noticed he'd barely taken two bites of his pizza, but I didn't feel like asking him about that too. Finally he answered, "Because, you seem different. It's hard to explain. I guess for lack of a better explanation, I was drawn to you."

I felt my cheeks flush once again. I quickly reached for my soda, and sucked in the cool, sweet substance. "That's interesting," I eventually whispered between drinks.

_That's interesting? Could you have thought of anything more stupid to say, Muse?_

I felt the usual popping sound of the bottom of my soda and set down the empty cup. Edward was still sitting there, waiting for me to say something more.

"I have to say," I stared back at him with a soft smile, "Drawn to me. That's a first."

After we'd boxed up the leftovers that Edward insisted I take home to Dean and after Edward paid for our dinner, we walked back to his car. On the way home, I got to sing-along to "Bohemian Rhapsody" and even managed to get Edward to laugh as I did a few of the voices along with it. Edward parked us behind my Jeep and turned off the engine. Silence.

"Thanks for a really fun night," I smiled sheepishly.

"You're welcome, Musette."

"Muse," I corrected him, "You can call me Muse."

Edward grinned at me. His smile was so perfectly white and sincere with a tinge of dangerous.

I played with the zipper on my purse. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Would you like me to walk you to your door?"

My heart leapt a little. His voice flowed like chocolate making everything he said sound intense_._

"Sure." My voice cracked.

_Oh, how embarrassing._

Edward opened his door and walked around the front of the car (from what I could tell at a normal pace this time). Pushing my pride aside, I let Edward help me up and out of the car. His hands were cold but they felt safe and strong.

_Don't let go._

Edward looked at me with wide eyes and laced his fingers with mine. His look startled me. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing." He looked up at the dark house, except for the flashing lights of the living room TV. "You're mesmerizing Muse, that's all."

_Mesmerizing? That's all?_

I was taken aback. "And you're," I paused, "You're…What do I say to something like that?" I laughed.

Edward just flashed a smile and walked me up the steps and into the front porch. I flipped on the light then turned to face Edward directly. "So…uh." I avoided Edward's gaze and combed my auburn locks behind my ears.

_I kinda want him to kiss me. That kiss on Friday was weird. Good, but weird and he pulled back. Maybe he didn't like it. That kiss though….it reminded me of something a feeling or a person. I don't know. Oh just kiss me, dammit._

Edward lifted my chin with his index finger and stared into my eyes with his own pools of gold. My breathing became heavy. He didn't ask, but I nodded anyway willing him to kiss me. He leaned forward and drew in a breath, stopping short as his lips reached mine.

His lips…they were so firm and cold, yet they caressed mine, moved with mine knowingly.

_I'd felt this before. Not at the party. NO._

That's when it hit me…again. What had been bothering me all night. What I'd forgotten.

_Nathan…his kiss felt just like Nathan._

This time I pulled away first. "Uh," I stammered, ignoring his quizzical look, "I gotta go. I just realized…homework…report…something. See you tomorrow." I quickly opened the front door and slammed it behind me. Then I leaned my back against the door and slid down to the floor. I heard Edward walk back out to his car and drive off.

"Is that you Muse?" Dean called from the living room.

"Yeah," I called back, trying to keep my voice calm. "I'm tired. Bed. See you in the morning."

"'Kay g'night," Dean hollered back.

I pushed myself off the floor and hurried up to my bedroom where I sprawled out on the bed, stuffed my head into a pillow and screamed. After I screamed, I cried. And after I cried, I slept.

**Author's Note:**** Thanks for the comments. Please continue with feedback. It gives me inspiration, and inspiration is vital to writing a good story. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Now, I won't be posting Chapter 4 until I get at least 3 more reviews. Next Chapter 4- The New Guy**


	4. Chapter 4: The New Guy

Chapter 4- The New Guy

Thursday Edward didn't show up for any of our classes. In fact, as James pointed out, all of the Cullens were missing at lunch.

"That's odd," was about all I could come up with. I wasn't selfish or foolish enough to think that one bad kiss could drive away an entire family, but then again…

After my brutal reminder of Nathan on the front porch, I couldn't stop thinking about how much Edward reminded me of him: his looks and now the kiss. Classes were a blur, and James was really the only one who noticed that I was clearly out-of-it.

"What's up with you?" he finally blurted out halfway through lunch.

"Huh?" I resurfaced from my thoughts. "Oh, nothing. Just tired I guess."

"Is that why you didn't call me after your date last night?"

"Yeah," I answered, not completely lying. I was tired last night, and I kinda forgot to call too.

He searched my face for another explanation. I must have actually looked tired though because he just nodded and continued eating and talking about paintings or music or oh I don't know. (I wasn't listening at all, remember.)

After school was our first fall musical practice. I had landed a lead role as Sister Sarah Brown in _Guys and Dolls_. Luckily, we were just running lines, so all I had to do was speak.

Mr. Hart shooed us all out of the auditorium a quarter after seven. I gratefully hurried out to my jeep. My brain automatically steered me home, and I was pulling into my driveway with no remembrance of how I'd gotten there. I did, however, notice the motorcycle parked in my spot. MY SPOT!

The stress of realizing that Edward had some unique characteristics in common with a guy who tried to rape me, all of the schoolwork piling up, and the two million lines and songs I was gonna have to learn in the next couple of months stretched me to my limit. And I was not in the mood to give up MY parking spot at MY own house. I seriously considered running into the bike at full speed.

_Bad idea because then Dean would make me get a job to pay off the repair bills._

I chose the less expensive route. Whipping into the spot on the other side of Dean's truck, I pushed open my door, grabbed my bag, and slammed the door shut behind me as hard as I could. Determined to make as much noise as humanly possible, I pounded up the front steps, slammed open the screen door, stomped through the porch, opened the front door, and slammed it shut behind me. Finally, throwing my book bag down, I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Whose the idiot that parked in my spot!" No answer. I thumped my way into the kitchen and stopped short at the doorway.

Dean turned toward me. "And this is my Lovely. Kind. Understanding little sister Musette."

Dean looked at me sternly before introducing the man across the table. The man being the reason I had ceased moving or breathing (I think). He was dark tan, almost copper colored, and had muscles that I never even knew existed. His short, black hair was styled into messy spikes, and his eyes were pools of chocolate brown that a girl could easily lose herself in.

"Muse, this is Jacob Black."

Jacob smiled at me. "The idiot who parked in your spot."

I felt my cheeks burn red hot, embarrassed by my childish behavior. "Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. Just a long day at school. You know."

He laughed. "It's fine. I know exactly what you mean."

Dean laughed too, and I joined them in an attempt to redeem myself a little.

Dean pulled out one of the chairs between him and Jacob. "C'mon sis. Sit. Leftover pizza should be ready soon."

Before taking my seat, I pulled open the fridge door. The cool air immediately took effect, and I could feel the blood draining from my cheeks as I searched for something to drink.

"You two want some sodas?" I called behind me.

"Coke please," I heard Dean answer.

"Me too," came Jacob's young, full voice.

I grabbed two Cokes and a Diet Coke for myself then spun around and closed the door with my hip. Taking my seat, I slid the drinks to each of the boys.

Still trying to redeem myself, I chose to start in on the conversation.

"So Jacob how do you know my brother?" I popped my can of Diet Coke open and listened to the sizzle of fizz rise and fall before taking a sip.

Jacob was already chugging down his by the time I'd finished the question. He set the half-empty can down. "I just started working at Hanson's Auto Shop as a mechanic, and Dean here has been showing me the ropes."

"Not that I really need to," Dean announced, "Jacob probably knows more about cars than I do."

_And that's saying something._

Jacob just smiled and finished off his can of Coke. As I began wracking my brain for another question, the buzzer on the oven went off. I jumped at the opportunity to get up and do something, but Dean held me down with one hand.

"Stay. Talk. I can get the pizza."

"Okay."

I began bouncing my knee, faster and faster as I thought of what to do or say next. (another nervous habit)

"Where did you move here from?" I asked.

"Forks, Washington."

_That's it. What the hell is going on here? Did all the hot guys in Forks decide to disperse and move to tiny towns all over the country? Or heck, maybe there's a studly man factory in Forks that delivers. I'll have to remember to Google that._

"Oh. Nice." I forced a small smile.

Dean placed 3 paper plates of pizza in front of each of us and a new Coke in front of Jacob.

"Hey Muse, wasn't that guy you went on a date with last night from Forks? Edward Cullen?"

I looked at Dean and gave him my best _don't-bring-that-up_ look.

Dean folded his arms and leaned back, ignoring my reaction. "Well wasn't he?"

"Yes." I answered through gritted teeth.

"Maybe Jacob knows him." Dean turned his attention to Jacob. "Do you know Edward Cullen or his family?"

"Yeah I know them." Jacob stated without a hint of a smile, and his voice as well as his body language screamed out that he did not want to talk about them.

Dean obviously caught the vibe, and I mouthed silently at him "Told ya".

"Nice motorcycle." I switched subjects quickly. "What kind is it?"

Jacob's face lit up. "Suzuki GSX-R7000"

"Cool."

Dean snorted, "Since when do you know anything about motorcycles Muse?"

"Since never," I retorted then turned back to Jacob, "But I know everything Dean's taught me about cars, so I find this kinda stuff interesting."

"Plus," I shot a sideways glance at Dean, "Dean knows how much I like to dirt bike."

"Really?" Jacob raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, she does," Dean answered for me.

Jacob pried eagerly. "You any good?"

Dean and I both laughed this time. "Not really," I admitted, "I wipe out a lot, but I still think it's great…exhilarating! And I am getting better."

"I've got a couple of dirt bikes at home," Jacob pointed out the west window, "We should all go riding sometime."

"Yeah," Dean agreed.

I began eating my pizza in silence.

Dean eventually piped up, "So I was just telling Jacob about your baby out there."

"Yeah?" I asked, now very interested, "Well she is basically my dream vehicle."

Jacob almost choked on his pizza crust.

I stared him down. "What's so funny huh?"

"Nothing *cough*." He pounded his chest to get the food moving.

I ignored his reaction. "Yes, you may find it laughable, but I've wanted my hot pink baby since as far back as I can remember."

Jacob smirked, "I gotta give you props for originality."

"Damn right."

Dean tossed his plate across the room into the garbage and casually drained the last bit of his Coke. "By the way sis. How many miles on that ol' Jeep now?"

"Ummm…like 170,000, I think."

"Oh damn," he slid his chair out and jumped up from the table, "You're like 300 miles overdue for an oil-change."

I slammed the palm of my hand into my forehead. "Shoot. You're right. I totally forgot."

"You two keep talking," Dean slid into his work boots, lacing them up as he spoke, "I'm gonna go change your oil before I forget again." With that, he rushed out the front door and left me to continue a conversation with a guy I barely knew_….an amazingly handsome, sexy guy._

I took another small bite of my pizza which was growing colder by the second.

"You're brother talks about you a lot at work." Jacob grabbed the last piece of pizza.

I smirked, "Wow. He really needs to get a girlfriend."

Jacob chuckled. "I think it's nice. He's proud of you. He says you're really smart."

"Ahhh, yes. The brainy geek. That's me." I frowned slightly. _Great Dean's telling hot guys that I'm a nerd._

"No." Jacob shook his head, "He also says you love the outdoors; your strong; and you like to play video games."

Blood rushed to my cheeks again, and I felt the heat radiate off my face.

"I'm sorry," Jacob apologized, "I'm making you uncomfortable." He turned away from me looking quite guilty.

"No, it's okay." I calmed myself quickly and let my normal color return just to show him that I was fine. We both continued eating in silence. Between bites I studied the man across from me (I hope that doesn't make me sound too creepy.), and I could see just how young he looked. I tilted my head examining his features. His eyes brimmed with innocence, he had no facial hair, and his hands looked so soft, not rough like someone who has been working hard for years and years. "Jacob? Don't take this the wrong way, but how old are you?"

He swallowed his last bite and replied, "Nineteen."

"I thought you looked pretty young."

He nodded. "I just graduated last year."

"You must be one heck of a mechanic to land a job at Hanson's right out of high school."

He shrugged, "I've been working on cars since I could hold a wrench. It's my calling."

"That's awesome," I gleamed in admiration. It was pretty rare to find a man so young who seemed like he had a good head on his shoulders and a plan for the future. Jacob steered the conversation back to an earlier subject. "So have you ever driven a motorcycle then Muse?"

I shook my head as I tossed my garbage into the can beside the fridge. "Haven't ever even sat on one."

A twisted, dangerous smile crept over Jacob's face. It sent a shiver down my back (in a good way). "Wanna go for a ride then?" he asked.

"Yeah," I cried eagerly, "If Dean says it's okay." I left Jacob to put on his work boots, and I ran outside to where my jeep was parked. Dean was hunched over the engine, with a lamp hanging from the hood of the car.

"Dean?" He spun around to face me. "Dean, do you mind if I go for a ride with Jacob on his motorcycle?" Technically, I didn't really have to ask Dean, but we both felt better when I did ask his permission on things like this.

"Sure," he answered, wiping his oily hands on a stained pink rag, "Just make sure you wear a helmet."

"Okay," I acceded in my extra-excited voice. When I turned around, Jacob was already marching down the front walk. I gave him a thumbs up, and he smiled back, waving me towards him and the bike.

Out of nowhere, Jacob produced a black and green helmet and slammed it down on my head. "Watch the hair," I joked, straightening out the helmet and buckling it securely.

"Aw, don't be such a baby," he teased back then climbed aboard the bike. He patted the small patch of leather seat behind him, inviting me to climb on. I swung my right leg over the seat and positioned myself right behind him. But suddenly, I faced a problem…"Uhhh. Jacob? Where should I hang on?"

Instead of answering me, he grabbed each of my wrists and forcefully placed my arms around his waist.

_Oh my gosh. His abs are rock hard._

"Feel secure Muse?"

"Yup. Hit it."

The engine roared to life, and Jacob backed out, going quite slow. But the second we reached pavement, he hit the gas and shifted gears …one, two, three, four, five times. I managed a peek over his shoulder.

_110 miles an hour!_

I tightened my grip around Jacob. The cold, rushing air sent a shiver wafting down my back. As it did so, I noticed how incredibly warm Jacob felt even though he was wearing a uniform shirt and a leather jacket. Heat radiated off him like a furnace. I watched the fields, trees, and houses fly by us in a blur. After about fifteen minutes or so, I heard the familiar sound of gravel under the wheels spotted my big blue two-story house about a half-mile ahead.

_Damn. I don't wanna be home yet._

Dean sat on the front steps waving at us as we pulled into the driveway. Jacob parked the bike and dismounted. I less gracefully spider-climbed off the back of the seat. I handed the helmet to Jacob. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem." He took the helmet and hung it over the handlebars then walked beside me up to the house.

"Have fun sis?" Dean asked.

"You know it!" I exclaimed. I took a seat beside Dean. "Did you get my oil changed?"

"Yup. And this time I put a sticker in the corner of your windshield, so you will know when it needs to be changed again."

Jacob, still standing, caught Dean's attention, "Hey man, I better get going. It's gettin kinda late."

"That's cool." Dean stood up, and I followed suit.

"So nine a.m. at your house on Saturday right?" Jacob asked.

"Yup," Dean replied.

I cut in, "What's at nine a.m.?"

Dean turned to me and answered, "Leaving for Wabana Lake to camp-out. Didn't I already tell you about this?"

"No," I stated in an injured tone, "This was never mentioned. Am I invited?"

"Of course you are. And James too."

"Thanks for the heads up. I better go call James. I'll see ya Saturday Jacob."

"Kay. See ya," he half-waved as I turned to head back into the house. I waved behind me without looking, and grabbed my phone from my book bag, scrolled down to James, and hit send.

"Hey. James? Wanna go camping on Saturday?"

**Author's Note: ****So I didn't get the three more reviews I was looking for, but its been a week and I can't keep readers from the next chapter for too long. I just have to hope that when you feel its needed you will comment/review my story. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Next Chapter 5- Camping Scare**


	5. Chapter 5: Camping Scare

Chapter 5- Camping Scare

Friday the entire Cullen clan was gone from school again, and it seemed like every teacher's idea of a fun Friday was assigning a huge assignment for the weekend. When the end-of-school bell rang, James and I headed to the auditorium for a run-through on the song sets. James and the band practiced most of the scores in the band room while the singers split up into small groups to work on one or two specific songs. Around eight everybody filed out to the parking lot tired and voiceless. I drove home just listening to the radio.

Dean's truck was already resting outside the house, but, luckily, there were no other cars _or motorcycles. _I was way too tired for company. Parking in my usual spot, I trotted up and through the front porch. I shot straight past Dean on the couch and headed to the kitchen. "So Dean," I yelled into the living room, "Waddya want for dinner?"

"You pick," he called back lazily. I skimmed the cabinets and the refrigerator.

"Hmm…egg bake it is," I spoke to myself as I started to assemble the layered casserole. I placed it in the oven, set the timer, and cleaned up the prep mess. Then I walked into the living room and curled up in the recliner. Dean seemed completely engrossed in a new issue of Maxim, so I clicked on the television. "Dinner will be ready in forty minutes," I informed my brother.

"Good. I'm starving." He flipped the magazine closed and sat up then threw me a letter he'd been stowing between two couch cushions.

"What's this?" I asked as I caught the mail.

"Just open it."

I examined the front of the envelope; my breath caught. "Oxford?" I looked at Dean incredulously. He just sat there with a straight face and nodded. Using my nail, I slit open the top of the envelope, pulled out the letter inside, and began to read silently.

_**Dear Miss Wells,**_

_** We are pleased to inform you that you have been placed on the early acceptance list at Oxford University. Please understand that your acceptance can be revoked if you do not retain your current grade point average during your twelfth year of secondary education. We are also honored to notify you that you have been chosen as a possible recipient of the Elders' Scholarship. This full-ride scholarship is only offered to a select number of students who show dedication and aptitude in every educational category . A member of Oxford University Administration will be arriving at Grant High on Monday, September 7th. You have a scheduled interview with the faculty at 8:15 a.m. for this scholarship. Additionally, you will discuss your acceptance into our University. Please contact your school's main office to find out the location of the meeting. Enclosed is a list of contact information for the school as well as some information on our institution. Once again, congratulations. We hope to see you soon.**_

_**Kind Regards,**_

_**Tracy Hamilton, Secretary of Admissions**_

"What in the world?" I breathed as I reread the letter. "How?" I looked up. "Dean did you send in an application to Oxford for me?"

"No. Of course not." He snarled.

"What's wrong?" I asked, taken aback by his ferocity at the idea.

"That's the school in England right?" Dean asked acidly.

I nodded. "Oh. I see."

"And Muse, it's super expensive I'm sure."

I smirked a little at that comment. "Yeah. But I'm up for a full-ride scholarship see?" I shoved the letter into his hands. He scanned it in silence. As he finished he bobbed his head up and down.

"But you didn't apply yourself?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know how they found me. I mean I've heard of schools searching out students they want to come to their school. But I'm nothing special. Not like I'm some super genius."

"I'd argue you on the point," he chuckled.

"So waddya think?" I asked in earnest.

He sighed. "I guess you should meet with this person since he's coming all the way to America just to see you. Plus, maybe he can tell you why you were accepted without an application."

I grinned and tackle hugged Dean. "Oh, thank you."

"You're welcome." He hugged back. I turned back to my television program, periodically looking back down at the unforeseen letter until dinner was ready. Dean took care of the dishes since I had a pile of homework to get started on before packing for the trip tomorrow. I fell asleep with half of that pile completed and half of my duffel bag stuffed.

Saturday morning began at six a.m. I got through my usual morning routine then finished packing my duffel before heading out to work on throwing together the rest of the supplies. The rest of the guests showed up shortly after eight and fell in line getting everything stowed away in two pick-ups and the Jeep.

"James you got everything?" I yelled from the back of my Jeep, securing our duffels, sleeping bags, and tent.

"Uh-huh," he replied from his spot under the Maple tree in our front yard. His pencil moved faster than a hummingbird's wings over his sketchpad.

"Don't get up and help me or anything?" I laughed sarcastically.

"You know exactly what would happen if I did." And he was right. I would nitpick at his knot-tying abilities and redo everything myself anyway.

Once I'd tied off that last rope, James and I hopped into the Jeep and followed the two trucks pulling out ahead of us. We drove along for forty minutes, listening to music and enjoying the warm summer breeze, until our caravan pulled onto a path leading into the woods. We followed the two vehicles ahead of us down the rocky back road to one of our usual campsites.

After parking the vehicles, all of us began unloading. Dean had brought his friend Shawn along, and Jacob had come with a guy named Seth. I had my tent up in fifteen minutes. (I'd perfected this task due to the hundreds of camping trips with Dean and his pals.) James and I unrolled our sleeping bags inside and threw our duffels next to them.

Outside, I looked on either side of me. Dean and Shawn were just finishing up though Jacob and Seth looked as though they'd been done for awhile. Both were lounging on the ground sipping on sodas.

"Anyone up for the beach?" Dean shouted out from his tent.

"Hell yeah!" Shawn replied from the bushes where he was obviously in the middle of "taking care of business".

"Shawn you're so gross." I yelled at him, not addressing my brother's question. I climbed inside the tent and dug my bikini out of the bag. It was my favorite one: purple, green, and gold with a tankini top and boy short bottoms. I stepped into each piece, absentmindedly running a hand over my stomach. Another flaw of mine: my insecurity. I was fairly thin, but no matter how hard I tried I could never get rid of the small bump of fat at the bottom of my stomach. Not to mention, I had a tiny chest and pale skin that was damn near impossible to tan. Once I was dressed with beach towel and sandals in hand, I turned the tent over to James, so he could slip into his trunks. I slipped on my sandals and ran over to my jeep to grab a small drawstring bag with a couple of horror novels, my iPod, and a pair of sunglasses. I threw my towel in and returned to the tent where James had just emerged. Dean and Shawn exited their tent ready to go after five more minutes.

"Hey, you guys ready finally?" Jacob yelled, waving us over to his parked truck.

"Yeah dude," Shawn replied, "You know how girls can be." He cocked his head in my direction. I halted mid-stride and placed my hands on my hips, one eyebrow raised.

Jacob and his buddy laughed.

"Hey, you can't fool me. I saw it all. She was ready before any of you guys," Jacob pointed out happily.

"Thank you Jacob," I nodded punching Shawn in the arm. He rubbed the aching red spot I proudly left.

"So whose vehicle we takin'?" Dean asked the group.

"We can take mine," Seth offered.

"Sounds good," I said, immediately climbing over the tailgate and finding a comfortable spot in the bed of the truck. Jacob, James, and Shawn followed. Shawn immediately took up a spot right next to me. (He'd been hitting on me since I was sixteen. How Dean had let him live this long was beyond me.) Seth climbed into the driver's seat and Dean claimed shotgun.

The truck rumbled as the engine came to life, and we lurched forward. We drove through the woods toward the lake. I placed my hand over the side of the truck bed and leaned my head back. The wind rushed over my skin and through my hair cooling me on the surprisingly hot, late August morning.

At one point I felt an arm try to snake its way over my shoulders resulting in me giving Shawn a hard jab to the ribs as my mouth expanded into a wide grin. I opened my eyes just in time to see him crawl his way to the rear of the truck bed.

Jacob and James both laughed, and Shawn turned a bright shade of pink.

After a few miles, we reached the small beach. It wasn't one of those beaches you see on the front of cruise vacation magazines. Its sand was different shades of tan and brown. Certain areas were littered with rocks or debris from the lake (which occasionally included a dead fish or two) But it was clean, no garbage left by other people. The water was green and blue but not murky, so you didn't feel all gross after swimming in it. There were no houses around or docks around the lake, but it was surrounded by woods with trees bordering ninety percent of it. Seth parked under the shade of a tree at the edge of the beach, and I hopped out onto the sand, bag over my shoulder. Dean and James each took a side on the large cooler the boys had brought along. As soon as we all claimed a spread of sand, Jacob and Seth headed straight for the lake. I found a soft, flat spot with little wind, spread out my towel, and began unpacking my bag. James lay his towel down beside me as I started slathering myself in SPF 30.

I turned to James. "Can you get my back?"

"Yup." He held out his hand, and I turned over the bottle, squirting a small pool of it into his palm. Then, I turned away and let him rub the lotion over my back and shoulders.

"There you go," he slapped the spot between my shoulders.

"Ow!" I yelped and immediately jumped up, twisted my towel, then whipped him as hard as I could. He began to do the same before I ran off for the edge of the water. I let go of my towel just in time to splash into the blue green of the lake; as soon as I was in far enough, I dove.

_Oh, the water feels so good. Clean and cold._

James caught up with me just as I resurfaced and we enjoyed a decent splashing fight. During the fight Jacob and Seth came over to see if we wanted to participate in a challenging game of _**Chicken. **_

"Sure," I replied, "but only if I can go up against Seth." It was only fair that I fight someone who was closer to my size.

"I'm surprisingly strong, you know, for-"

"A twelve year old." I finished, giggling at the look on his face.

"I am not twelve," he argued back, "I'm seventeen."

"Coulda fooled me," James snickered.

"Aaaargh!" Seth hollered as he jumped at James dunking him hard under the water.

"Well, so much for _**Chicken**_, " Jacob laughed, and eventually he pulled Seth off of James who had begun to look as though he was fighting for his life.

"I take it back," James sputtered, "He's really strong. My gosh!"

I laughed and, without a word, swam back to shore.

After, I'd recovered my towel, I returned to the windless spot I found before, James following my lead. He pulled out his drawing tools and I untraveled my iPod headphones. Placing them in my ears, I pressed shuffle and lay back on my towel. My eyes closed as the music flowed from hard rock to classic rock to pop.

_Time to turn._

I opened my eyes. James still sat beside me drawing, but what? So far I couldn't tell. It looked like the scene before us but not. Everything, every detail was distorted in a chaotic and beautiful way. Reaching to my right, I found my sunglasses and carefully placed them on my face. I switched sides, placing my feet where my head was and letting my back get the brunt of the UV rays. Now that I was on my belly, I could read; so I grabbed one of my books, _Graveyard Shift_, and opened to the first story. After twenty or so pages of gripping terror, I heard a yell down the beach.

"Not fair!"

Turning to look, I found my brother and the three other boys playing beach volleyball with a net one of them had lugged along. They must have been playing awhile before I looked over because all of them glistened with sweat in the midday sun. Despite my attempts to turn back to the story, my eyes were drawn to Jacob and his friend. Their dark skin and defined muscles demanded attention and would make any girl, including me, turn to jelly inside. Jacob grabbed a quick glance over toward James and I, and I hastily darted my eyes down at the pages of my book.

_Oh damn! I hope he didn't see me staring like that._

I pretended to read while focusing on not looking up again. Out of the blue, I felt a prod on my left side and looked over at James. He cocked his head slightly as I removed my left earpiece.

"Jacob at two o'clock," he forewarned.

I took out my other headphone, and Jacob, now mere inches from me crouched down in the sand beside me. He glanced at my book.

"_Graveyard shift_?" he asked stunned.

"What? Don't you like gory, pee-your-pants horror?"

"Absolutely," he grinned. "I just tend to watch it, not read it."

I peeked over Jacob's shoulder to see the three other boys glancing in our direction. "Aren't they waiting for you?"

"Actually," Jacob said, "they're waiting for you. Shawn is getting tired. You want to join in a game of volleyball?"

"Sure," I replied cheerfully, throwing my iPod and book back into the bag. "Help me up."

Jacob look startled for a second then offered me a hand up, and I took it. "You'll be on Dean's team." Jacob pointed to the other side of the net as we reached the volleyball court.

Once Seth and Jacob had put Dean and me to shame, all of us, including James, went for another swim in the lake. As the horizon began to turn ten different shades of pink and orange, we gathered all our belongings and piled back into Seth's truck. Once we were all back at the campsite, I changed into a pair of cotton shorts and a black beater then headed out to help with the campfire. Instead, the boys told me to grab a seat because they had it under control. Thirty minutes later all six of us sat around a toasty fire with skewers of hot dogs and marshmallows.

"I'm famished," I informed the group, stuffing a hot dog slathered in ketchup and mustard into my mouth.

"Um-hum," came Dean from a mouthful of bread and meat. I rolled my eyes and continued eating in silence. After two hot dogs, two s'mores, and a diet coke, I leaned back in my pink plastic folding chair and waited for the others to finish.

Glancing over at the open cooler, I let out a small laugh. "Good thing I didn't want any more food tonight." Between the five other boys, they had eaten 22 hot dogs and two entire bags of marshmallows.

"We're growing boys," Shawn contended.

"Yeah maybe this way," I joked, holding my hands out about a foot on each side. Everybody laughed.

"Anyone for a game of cards?" Seth asked.

"Yeah". We all nodded, so he walked over to his tent and retrieved a deck of cards which had seen one too many games of poker. We all pulled up chairs around a rickety, olive green folding table

"So what're we playin''?" Dean asked.

"Strip Poker," Shawn suggested. A second later, he had been shoved out of his chair by four other guys.

"You know you really should go see a doctor about all these sick brain issues," I responded.

"Ha ha," he chimed climbing back into his seat.

"You guys know BS? " James aimed the question at the two newcomers.

They both nodded. We ended up playing two or three games, all of which Jacob or Seth won.

"I think you two have some sort of system," I commented as Seth gathered up the cards.

"If we do," Jacob smirked, "It's a really good one. One you'll never figure out."

"We'll see." I folded up a couple of chairs and threw them into Dean's truck then headed over to the tent to put on my pajamas. Once I was dressed and huddled under my covers, James wandered in through the tent opening. He didn't even bother to undress. (Not that I'd never seen him in his boxers. I mean we have been best friends for like ever.)

"Hey," I leaned up on my left elbow. "So? Have fun today?"

"Sure I did," he answered. He leaned back on both of his own elbows. "I love camping out with you and your brother and whatever weirdo friends he drags along."

"Boy am I glad you do," I said in relief, "I brought Carmen once and we had to leave early because a toad crawled into her sleeping bag." Both of us sniggered at the mental image that sparked.

I lay back on my pillow and looked up at the tent ceiling.

"You're brothers' new friends seem nice," James said stiffly from beside me.

"You think so?" I listened as the others outside rustled around in their tents, getting situated for the night.

"So," James began, "You haven't really talked about you and Edward. Are you two going on a second date anytime soon?"

"No, I don't think so." My words were coated in disappointment.

"Whoa! Hold up. I thought you had a good time?"

"I did," I replied sheepishly.

"Alright what happened?" his voice fell to a scary tone, "Did he hurt you?"

_Dammit. He'll kill Edward just because he reminds me of Nathan_

"No no nothing like that," I reassured him, "See, I just…" _**Crack!**_

My head snapped in the direction the noise came from. It sounded like a tree breaking in half. "What was that?" I whispered.

James ignored the sound. "Probably just one o' the guys. Go on."

I relaxed back into my pillow. "Like I said, I…" _**Grrrrrrr**_

Bolting straight up, I shrieked in a whispered tone, "Okay. That was not one of the guys."

"No," James agreed. I flipped on a flashlight and shone it around the tent, looking for any unusual shadows. One caught my attention as it was growing larger and larger. I reached for my pistol. I'd stashed it in the side pocket of my duffel for the camping trip. (I never go anywhere without a gun, even school.)

"Who's there?" I called out and took aim at the unidentifiable shadow, "I've got a gun."

"It's me Muse," a hushed voice answered back, "Dean."

"What the hell are you doing Dean?" I cried back angrily, "Trying to scare me to death and get yourself killed?"

I unzipped the tent's opening and poked my head out. Sure enough, there was Dean hunched over in a pair of Guitar Hero XX pajama pants and nothing else. "I thought I heard something. And what were you doing? Did you really expect an animal to answer you?"

"Maybe," I snapped, knowing that he made a whole lot of sense "I heard it too," I said, "Did you see anything?"

"No." He flashed his own flashlight into the trees then turned back to me. "But a couple of us are gonna stay up and keep watch. Just in case."

"You think it was a bear or a wolf?"

He shrugged. "It is the woods. Can't rule anything out."

"Okay then. See you in the morning." I slid the zipper carefully back up and climbed over to my side of the tent. Dropping my gun back into its pocket, I settled into the sleeping bag.

"You okay?" James asked reaching out for my arm.

"Yeah," I breathed in, "Just fine. Tired though. See you in the morning."

"Okay. G'night Muse." The silence. "You promise he didn't hurt you?"

"Promise. Don't worry about it." I yawned and turned on my side waiting for sleep to take me. It did and with it came nightmares full of Edward, Nathan, my parents, Oxford, and lots of stupid, little things. I woke with a start, sweating, and a scream at the back of my throat. Looking around, I realized where I was and reached over for my cell phone.

_3 a.m._

I slammed my head back into the pillow.

_Damn, I'm never gonna get back to sleep now. _

I decided that some fresh air might help, so I felt around in the dark until I grasped the handle of my flashlight. I moved as quietly as possible across the tent, slowly unzipping the front and rezipping it behind me. I flipped on the flashlight aiming it at the path in front of me. I crept around the campsite trying to find a good tree to lounge under and enjoy the cool night air.

"Who's there?" came a voice from my right. I whipped my light in the same direction. At the same time, a bright light shone in my face. My hand instinctively shielded my eyes, and I squinted trying to see through the glare.

"Oh hey Muse," whoever it was said in relief then lowered his light so I could see again.

"Hi Jacob." I lowered my light too. "Fancy meeting you here. Out in the woods. At 3 in the morning."

He was seated on the ground, his back against the trunk of a gigantic Maple tree. I dropped down in the grass beside him. Due to the bright full moon, I could clearly see him smile over at me. "Well, we are in the woods because we're camping, and I'm on beast watch until dawn."

"Yeah, yeah details," I joked.

"So I have a good reason for being out here. What's your excuse?"

I leaned my head back against the soft bark of the tree. "Nightmares. Just thought some fresh air might help."

Jacob started to get up. "Well I could just go sit somewhere else if you wanted to be alone." I grabbed his nearest arm and tugged him back down. "No you don't. I don't want to be alone when the phantom beast decides it's hungry for teenage girl."

"Okay," he relented, settling himself back in comfortably, "So what types of things do you talk about at three in the morning?"

"We could tell scary stories," I volunteered.

"Hmmmm…I think you're going in the wrong direction to get your mind off nightmares."

I chuckled. "Yeah. Probably."

"So were you dreaming about the bear?"

"No. No bears or wolves. School stuff. A guy I dated…stupid things like that."

"So you're dating someone?" Jacob asked curiously.

_Such an obvious question for a guy to ask._

I decided to humor him. "No. Not really. I went on one date with this guy Edward. Anyway, it was weird. And I slammed a door in his face. And well, not exactly my idea of a great start to a relationship."

"I don't know about that," Jacob said, "You did yell at me the first time we met."

I laughed. "True."

"But Edward…" Jacob growled the name without finishing a sentence.

And suddenly I remembered something. Something from the night I met Jacob. "I noticed your negative reaction when Dean brought up the Cullens the other day. Not that I'm trying to pry but what's your beef with them?"

He shrugged and replied scornfully, "It's hard to explain."

"You couldn't try?" I coaxed.

His smile returned. "Not tonight. Besides, I'm sitting here in the outdoors with good friends and good food. Not to mention, I get to enjoy a late night chat with a pretty girl. I don't have much to be upset about right now."

I relaxed against the tree again, grinning to myself.

_He thinks I'm pretty. Eeek! Oh my gosh. Could I sound more like a 13-year-old with a crush. _

All of a sudden, the wind picked up. I shivered as the temperature dropped with it.

"Maybe I should go grab a jacket." I rubbed my arms in an attempt to rid myself of Goosebumps.

"No need," Jacob stated and removed the sweatshirt he had on then handed it to me, "I was getting a little too warm anyway." I took the overly-large sweatshirt and pulled it over my head.

"Thanks," I said, "That's much nicer."

He stared at me in the shirt and let out a loud snort.

"What?" I asked.

"I think it's a size or five too big."

I shrugged. "My theory with sweatshirts: The bigger they are, the warmer they are."

"Decent theory."

Nodding, I switched subjects. "So Jacob, did you move here with your family?"

"No. Actually, a few of my friends got job offers around here and I decided to move here with them. We bought an acreage just East of town."

"That's gotta be fun. Living with a bunch of your friends."

"It's okay. We have a lot of fun, but did I mention we're all guys between the age of 17 and 20? None of us knows how to cook much besides cereal and frozen pizza, has the time to clean, or wants to work on updating the house."

I closed my eyes with a grin. "The ultimate bachelor pad…" I hummed, pressing my fingers against my temples and squinting my eyes as I pretended to think hard. "Yeah bad mental picture. Ewww look at all that laundry and oh my! The dishes." I opened my eyes and nodded solemnly. "I see the problem."

Jacob chuckled, "Yeah not a pretty picture. But I do love it here. I especially love this kind of stuff: camping, hiking, and just about anything outdoors. Though, of course, I do enjoy the occasional video game. But I don't get to play much at home. Quil and Embry are always hogging the Playstation Five."

"Well, there's always four controllers available at me and Dean's house," I said.

Another gust of wind rushed by, and we listened to the trees rustle. Jacob leaned forward a bit and changed the subject, "And we still have to go dirt biking am I right?"

"Definitely. And maybe another motorcycle ride?" I proposed, trying not to sound too eager.

"You had that good of a time?" Jacob asked, sounding a bit astounded.

"Yeah I did. It was such a rush."

"Then, of course we can go on more motorcycle rides. Whenever you want."

"Sweet."

Out of the blue I yawned as the weight of the long, restless night started to hit me. "So what video games do you like?" I asked drearily.

"Oh, Final Fantasy XXV, Call of Duty: Impact..."

My head fell backwards against the tree as I fought to stay awake.

"…and most Mario games, Super Smash Bros. Six….."

My eyes drifted shut against my will.

"…and Need for Speed games and Guitar Hero…."

Then darkness. No nightmares or dreaming whatsoever, just a deep, deep sleep.

"Muse, hey Muse. Wake up." I felt my shoulder being shaken. I started to come to and noticed I was leaning against something…or someone. Again with the shaking, "Muse. C'mon."

I sat up and pried my eyes open. "Yeah. I'm up. I'm up," I murmured. Vision still blurry, especially without my contacts or glasses, I tried to distinguish who'd disturbed my slumber. "Oh. Jacob!" I jumped up and looked around. "Oh my gosh. Did I fall asleep out here? What time is it? Is anybody up. Oh man, Dean's gonna kill me for being out here and James…don't even get me started…"

Jacob, already on his feet, grabbed me by the shoulder and gently shook me. "Muse, settle down. It's five-thirty. You've only been asleep for a couple of hours. I wanted to make sure you got back to your tent before your brother woke up and got the wrong idea."

"Oh my gosh. Thank you." I threw my arms around Jacob's shirtless body in an enormous hug, realized what I was doing, and snapped back. Speechless, I managed to mumble "Night." and immediately rushed back to my tent, silently slid into my sleeping bag, and pretended to be asleep.

_What was I thinking? I just hugged Jacob…I don't even know his last name. One of my brother's co-workers. No, I didn't just hug him, I slept on him too. Man, this is completely crazy. That hug…it felt so warm. He smelled so good, and I'm wearing his sweatshirt. It smells so good, like sweat and some kind of deodorant and campfire smoke and faintly of gasoline. I hope I smelled okay. What if I drooled or snored? How embarrassing._

Somehow I managed to drift back to sleep until around eight when James began shifting around in the sleeping bag next to mine. I rolled over to see if he was waking up or just repositioning for another hour of sleep. His eyes fluttered, and he yawned then looked over at me.

"Morning," he croaked.

"Morning, lazy bones," I exclaimed brightly.

He gave a raspy guffaw. "You know it should be illegal to be that cheery in the morning."

"Probably," I replied smugly. "So what do you say to some breakfast?" I pulled back my sleeping bag.

"Sure," he agreed as he turned away to grab a fresh t-shirt. I seized a pair of flip-flops and slid them on when suddenly, James grabbed me by the arm and twisted me toward him. "Where'd you get the sweatshirt?" he eyeballed me.

"Oh, I went outside last night to get some air when I couldn't sleep, and Jacob gave it to me because I was cold. But," I stripped off the sweatshirt, mussing up my hair in the process, "I think I'm warm enough now, so I can return this to him."

James didn't say anything, but I could see he was not pleased. Once he'd slipped on a pair of sandals, we crawled out of the tent and strode over to the fire pit. Dean and Shawn had already nestled into a couple of lounge chairs around a morning fire.

"Where's the rest of the troops?" James asked flopping into a green and white chair near Dean as I settled into my pink chair next to him.

"They packed up and left early," Dean responded.

"That's too bad," James said, a little too cheerfully, "They'll have to miss breakfast."

_Sometimes it's so annoying being surrounded by overprotective guys._

"Oh yeah, wouldn't wanna miss burnt toast and sausages," Shawn chuckled.

I laughed. "Well, it is the best part right? For you boys anyway. I think I'll just grab a granola bar or something."

After we'd all eaten, Dean sent us off to tear down camp. James and I helped each other roll up our sleeping bags, and then we packed our duffels. Once we'd stowed away the bags, James left me to tear down the tent while he emptied the melted ice out of the cooler. Dean and Shawn were still packing up by the time I had the Jeep secured and ready. I strolled over to where Dean sat packing up his tent.

"Hey." I crouched down next to him. "James and I are all ready. You want us to stick around and help you finish up?"

"Nah," he waved me off, "You two get on home. I'm sure you've got lots of homework or something right?"

"That is true," I confessed and stood back up, "Plus, I desperately need a shower."

"That I have to agree with," Dean scrunched up his nose and turned his head away.

"Shut up!" I shrieked, whacking the back of his head.

"Well I tend to disagree. I think you smell amazing," came the overly smooth voice of Shawn, as he slid his arm around my shoulder.

"Can it, worm." I stuck my tongue out at him and slid out from under his arm.

" Drive safe," Dean cautioned.

"Always do," I called back as James and I piled into my Jeep. I started the engine and we headed for home.

**Sorry, everybody, I know it's been about a year since I last update this story at all. But hey, I was pregnant. But now, I'm really gonna try to get back into the writing game. I miss it and am excited to see where the story takes us. Hope you enjoyed the Chapter. I'm a little rusty. Can't wait to hear your feedback. **


	6. Chapter 6: Decisions in Life & in Love

**Alright readers, I just want to apologize so so much for not having worked on this story for what seems like forever. At least a year or more right? It's been a crazy hectic couple of years, and I had no choice but to put this on the backburner. I was also having some writer's block as well, but I'm back in action and already have Chapters 7-10 in the works right now. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, and I promise to get the next chapter up very soon (like within a few days). I love reading comments, so please let me know what your thoughts are. Enjoy!**

I looked over at the clock

_6:15 a.m._

Turning back to the full-length mirror, I smoothed out my black pencil skirt for about the hundredth time. I'd been up since four in the morning. One quick fifteen minute shower followed by forty-five minutes devoted to choosing the right outfit: a black pencil skirt, a black camisole, underneath a sheer white blouse, a pair of black pumps with a white buckle across the front. Then half an hour applying the perfect shades of green eyeshadow, black eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss. And finally, forty-five minutes vigilantly straightening my hair and pulling half of it back into a tight, professional twist.

I slowly turned around in front of the mirror scrutinizing every inch of clothing, every strand of hair, every stroke of makeup. After rating my finished look at a solid nine, I walked over to my computer to print out a copy of my transcripts and recommendation letters.

I clicked on my files and opened the appropriate ones to print. While the mechanical sounds of the printer filled the room, I clicked onto my e-mail account.

_Forward. Delete. Advertisement. Delete. Junk. Junk. Junk. Delete. Delete. Delete. Message from Edward Cullen! How in the world had he gotten my e-mail address?_

It was dated yesterday. I clicked on the message.

_**Dear Muse,**_

_**Good evening. I am writing to you to tell you how much I enjoyed our evening on Wednesday. I really enjoyed learning more about you. I'm hoping you had a good time as well. The end of the night ended a bit abruptly. I'm sorry I haven't gotten to talk to you since then. My father sprung an unexpected camping trip on my family. We left on Thursday morning and got back tonight. Would you sit with me during study hall tomorrow morning at school? Text me and let me know.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Edward**_

I leaned back in my pink swivel chair and reread the message. To be honest, it was a little surprising he had decided to talk to me again after my horrid display.

I'd acted like a huge jerk. _And why? Because he reminded me of some guy from years ago. I'm gonna push him away because I'm a stupid, paranoid freak._

My head banged hard against the high back of the chair. I couldn't live the rest of my life, or the rest of my Senior year for that matter, scared of guys. I'd been around long enough to know that most guys were not as bad as Nathan….Nathan…_geez I can't even remember the pervert's last name.._

Snapping back to reality, my hand automatically went to the back of my head, and I ran over to the mirror. "Great and now my hair's a mess." I fumbled with my twist, undoing it and redoing it a couple of times before it was perfect once more.

I headed back to the computer and grabbed my printouts stuffing them into a manilla envelope. As I slid the envelope into my book bag, I heard the familiar sounds of Dean's morning routine starting down the hall. I remembered my phone and keys before leaving the room. My heels clicked all the way down the stairs and into the kitchen where I set down my load.

Although I felt a little nervous about today, I still had an appetite. But I wasn't leaving anything to chance, especially my stomach, so I decided on a cup of yogurt and nothing else not even coffee, I didn't need the extra caffeine making me jittery. But I brewed a pot for Dean; he would be lost without his morning cup of joe plus the thermos of it he took with him to work.

Over breakfast he wished me luck on the interview, though I'm not sure how sincere he was; he still hadn't warmed up to the idea of me heading overseas to school, even if it was a top University. Once Dean left, I made my way carefully (high-heels are not always my friends) out to my Jeep. Luckily, it hadn't started raining yet, although the clouds abover were ominous. Swinging my legs in, I shoved the key in the ignition and turned.

*click* *click* *click

I tried turning the key again.

*click* *click* *click*

"Dammit! No No No! This is so not the day for this. Aaargh!" I hit the steering wheel in anger.  
Dean had already left. I snatched my phone out of the front pocket of my bookbag and scrolled down to James. It went straight to voicemail. Next, I dialed up Carmen but after four rings I heard her cheery voice on the other line : "Hi, you've reached Carmen's phone. I'm not here right now and don't bother leaving a voicemail because I pretty much never listen to them. Chat at ya later. Adios!"

"Crap. Of all the mornings!" I cried out in frustrations. But before giving up completely, I decided to try one more person. I found the name of my potential ride in my contacts then pressed send.

"Hi. Edward?"

…..

"Actually, I'm calling because my car won't start, and I really need a ride. Could you…," I sighed,

….

"Oh Edward, thank you so much. See you in a few."

…

Hanging up the phone, I grabbed my bag and slid back out of the Jeep. Just as I'd arrived at the front walk, Edward's silver BMW came to a stop in front of me. I flung open the passenger side door and climbed in pulling my bag onto my lap. Edward looked over at me as the seatbelt clicked in place. He hit the gas and took off toward town at a very illegal speed.

"You look nice today," he mentioned casually.

"Thanks," I replied, "Interview with a college rep."

"Oh yeah?" The corners of his mouth turned upward slightly, "What one?"

"Oxford," I answered, trying to hold back a larger than life smile.

"Impressive." His smile widened and I noticed our speed went from NASCAR speed to Oh-My-Gosh-We're-Gonna-Die speed. I didn't dare look at the speedomoter; If I did, I'm sure I would have yelled at him to slow down. And I needed to get to school on time.

"Edward?"

"Yes?" .

"I'm sorry for the other night, you know, the whole slamming the door in your face thing. I just, well there's stuff that I can't really explain, but I promise you didn't do anything wrong. So could I sit with you at study hall today?"

"Sure." He looked over at me and smiled. I had to admit, his smile was gorgeous. He had perfect, white teeth and his eyes were brilliant warm gold that I'd never seen on anyone else. It took some effort to pull my gaze away, but when I did I noticed the clock. 8:12.

"See you later Edward." I waved behind me as I hurried up to the school entrance. I headed straight for the main office. As I entered, the tiny, grey-haired secretary looked up.  
"Hi Vikki. I'm wondering where my meeting with the rep from Oxford will be held?"

"Yes," she droned, "Let's see here…." She fumbled through a pile of neon-colored sticky notes until she found one near the bottom with blue scribbles on it. "You'll be in conference room two."

"Thanks." And I was out the door in a flash and headed straight for the conference rooms. The heavy wooden door was closed, and I could tell it was dimly lit inside. I slid my bookbag open and fished out the manilla envelope before setting the bag aside. One last smoothing of the skirt, a deep breath, and I was ready to face whoever was inside that office. Slowly, I reached out and knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in please," came the soprano voice of a young woman.

I pushed down on the door's handle and used the right side of my body to heave it forward. Sliding inside, I came face to face with a girl who looked barely older than I. She was strawberry blonde with teal eyes and tanned skin. Wearing a frilly pink skirt and a matching lacy blouse, she looked more like a sorority girl than a university representative.

"Miss Wells I presume," the girl stated.

I nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jessica Laroux. I am the Head of Admissions at Oxford University. Please have a seat." She gestured to the chair directly across from her.

I positioned myself upright in the chair and crossed my ankles, my hands carefully lain across my lap. It wasn't until I was sitting down that I noticed two others were in the room. Both hidden in the shadows in the far corner of the room, so I couldn't see there faces.

"My associates in the corner will be observing our meeting today."

I nodded, then I opened my envelope and slid the letters and transcripts across the small area of table. "Here's a copy of my transcripts and letters of recommendation."

She picked them up with her finely manicured nails, painted turquoise and black and gave them a quick once-over. "Ah, wonderful. Actually, I have familiarized myself with your academic accomplishments. You are a very bright young woman, and, I noticed, you've also got an exceptional amount of experience in the performance arts."

"Yes Miss Laroux."

"You enjoy the performance arts then?"

"Very much. I love acting, singing, dancing, and band."

Miss Laroux smiled, "So you think you would be taking some performance arts classes if you came to our University?"

"Probably," I answered, "Whether I entered classes or not, somehow I would get involved in a band or choir or something."

Her perfect, white smile widened even further. "We certainly encourage our students to take an active role in bettering themselves through creative activities offered at our school."

I smiled as Miss Laroux scanned my transcripts momentarily.

"You have an array of impressive courses. You've taken all the advanced courses in each area: social studies, science, English, math."

I nodded.

"Have you thought at all about what you might want to focus your studies on once you've graduated high-school."

"A little," I replied timidly, "I'm quite interested in chemistry and math, so those might likely be my majors. I'm not yet sure what career I would be working towards."

"Ah not to worry," she assured me, "I can tell you are an exquisite young woman with more power and potential than most could ever imagine. Which brings me to the subject of the Elders' Scholarship."

I leaned forward a bit. "Yes, I was surprised to find I was up for such a large scholarship. May I ask what the criteria for the scholarship is?"

"For exceptional students who show promise in a multitude of academic areas and who thrive in extra-curricular activities.." Miss Laroux informed me in a prideful tone.

"But, and don't get me wrong Miss Laroux, because I am certainly honored, but how did you find ME in the first placed. I didn't even apply to Oxford."

Miss Laroux leaned forward and lowered her voice as though what she was about to say could be heard through the walls. "Muse, have you ever heard the saying. 'It's not what you know, it's who you know'?"

"Of course."

"Well it's true and, unfortunately, our sources must remain anonymous. I'm sure you understand."

"Oh," was all I could muster.

Miss Laroux gathered her papers and straightened them into a pile before stuffing them into a bag on the floor next to her.

"I only have one more question for you then Muse."

"Yes?" I shot a glance to the clock on the wall. Like each room in this school the plain black and white clock was placed on the east wall of the off white wall. We'd only been speaking for about 5 minutes or so.

"If you accepted an offer to attend Oxford, what would you miss most about this place?"

I thought for a moment. It was an unexpected question I was not fully prepared for, but not a surprising one. The school in England probably faced issues with students from overseas where either they declined an offer to the school or left the school due to homesickness. Of course, I didn't have to search very far to find my answer, "My family and friends. My brother Dean. And my two best friends Carmen and James. Not to mention, all the other friends I have in Jamison."

The young woman across from me bobbed her head up and down slightly, the loose curls that enveloped her face barely bouncing out of place. Sliding her chair out from the table, Miss Laroux stood to leave.

"That's really all?" I asked, puzzled. Maybe I was feeling a bit on edge because the lights were dimmed and the curtains drawn, giving me the feeling that it was closer to midnight rather than 8:20 in the morning. But this didn't seem right. _Shouldn't there be more? I mean you did fly at least 12 hours to get here lady._

"For today, that is all. I guess you could call this the screening interview. I and my associates are sent to make sure that your transcripts check-out and to make observations based off of a short meeting with potential candidates."

I shot a glance over at the two men. or women I suppose. In the corner, but they were still just as discernable as when the meeting began.

"So what happens next?"

"The next step is an interview with the Dean of Students. He will be arriving in the country sometime in the next month or two."

"Okay." I nodded.

"It was so nice meeting you Muse." The pretty young woman stood and shook my hand.

"You as well Miss Laroux, and thank you so much for your time."

"My pleasure," she said and grabbed her bag then exited the room swiftly with the two others on her heels. I stood in the empty room for a moment.

_That was so weird. Only made weirder by the two creeps in the corner. Maybe I really didn't want to go to this school._

I shook my confusion regarding the last ten minutes or so off and headed to class. Edward sat next to me in all our morning classes, but I never once glanced over at him. I knew he'd be asking me about my interview. And after going over and over the meeting, I had become deeply confounded.

_Why would Oxford send someone over to the states to do something that could just as easily be done over the internet nowadays? And who had recommended me to a school in England? Who in Jamison, MN had that kind of pull? And why did this woman have 2 men hiding in the corner just to observe a five minute interview with the only challenging question being "What would I miss the most"?_

In study hall Carmen was already seated at our usual table. I walked over to her and stopped beside her chair. "Carmen. Hey. Edward asked me to sit with him in study hall. You gonna be okay without me for a day?" She caught the hesitation and uncertainty in my voice immediately.

"You sure you want to?"

I shrugged. "I told him I would."

"Whatevs girl. We'll talk later." She brought out a Teen Romance novel and flipped to the earmarked page near the beginning. I sighed and pivoted towards the table Edward had already claimed. I slid into the another chair at the table. "Hey." Now that I wasn't in any huge hurry, I took notice of what he was wearing. A pair of designer jeans with a navy blue, v-neck sweater, a brown leather jacket, and a pair of brown dress shoes. So unfair. _He's already amazing looking, and then he gets to dress like a celebrity too._

"Hey" he set aside the textbook he'd already set in front of him. "You aren't smiling."

"Should I be?" My eyebrows rose up to the middle of my forehead. I didn't even bother unzipping my bag since I figure I wouldn't be concentrating on any homework this period.

"Well if the interview with the Oxford Rep had gone well, then yeah, probably."

"It went fine." I looked down at the table. This was probably the dumbest thing I could of done; it was so obvious I was lying. _In fact, hadn't I read once that looking down was one of the top three indicators that a person was lying or at least not telling the whole truth_.

"But?" He stooped his head , so even with my eyes averted I had to look at him.

"But…I don't know. It seems a bit surreal. Like maybe someone's playing a horrible prank on me."

"Why do you say that?"

"I can't really put my finger on it." I shook my head in frustration, "It just doesn't seem like Oxford should be bothering with sending someone over to 'screen' me. I'm not special or anything."

He smiled. "I'm sure there are some who would disagree."

"Family and friends don't count," I countered, "I'm talking about the real world. Oxford's world full of scholars and geniuses and the like. Like you. You're smarter than me."

He smirked. "I won't even try to argue that point. But I didn't apply there."

"I didn't either," I admitted.

"No?" he asked. His eyebrows creased into a look of chagrin.

"No." As I spoke, I looked up again.

He was looking up too and caught my eyes. _Boy are his eyes breathtaking_. After at least 30 torturous seconds of silence, he looked away and shrugged. "Well, maybe someone you know sent in application for you. Someone who sees how brilliant you really are."

I shook my head and again studied the bare white aluminum, speckled table in front of me, not really agreeing or disagreeing.

"So about the other night," I looked up once more and Edward was back to staring straight at me. I was not used to someone looking at me so much. "I just wanted to make sure everything was alright after our abrupt parting at the end of the evening. It seemed like you were having a good time. Was I mistaken?"

"Uh no…oh no," I stumbled with my words, "I had a really good time. It's just that…" Last night I'd spent at least an hour figuring out what I was going to say. I'd practiced out loud over and over until the words flowed without even thinking, just like one of my compositions for speech class. I closed my eyes briefly and breathed in concentrating on the rise and fall of my chest before beginning. _Here goes…._

"I'm not really sure how I feel about you Edward. This whole dating thing, well, I've kinda been on a break for quite awhile." I saw the questioning look on his face. "Fear of being hurt and all. I've lost enough of myself to grief in the past."

My mind traveled back to how scared I'd been the night Nathan tried to rape me. How hurt I was emotionally that someone I thought I could trust, someone I thought I loved could betray me so suddenly. I remember the shame of having to call James in the middle of the night to come pick me up. I sobbed in James' arms as I recalled the details of that night in the early hours of the morning. I insisted that we not call the police; I couldn't bear the thought of Dean knowing what had happened. Dean definitely wouldn't have let this go. And my brother, God love him, would probably have gone off and landed himself in jail trying to kill the boy.

When my thoughts retreated back to the present, Edward's expression had completely changed. He looked feral. His face only slightly resembled a human; it was much more like a tiger about to attack its prey. His eyes were so hot they could have burned holes in the brick wall of the school and his whole body was so rigid I don't think a bulldozer would have broken through those muscles.

"Edward?"

He didn't answer but instead closed his eyes and relaxed into a much more comfortable state. "Sorry," he looked away quickly. His look scared me so much that I felt like I might need to go puke; not even the newest remake of the Haunting had scared me that much. "We can take it slow then," he offered, "I don't want to scare you or hurt you Muse."

"K," I squeaked, not sure if I could trust my voice. _Too late._ Because he'd pretty much just scared the pants off me.

_**Ring!**_

"That's our cue," I pointed up at the speaker on the wall.

"Yeah" he replied. Though the smile he gave me was subdued, not reaching his eyes.

After school it was four hours of rehearsing songs, songs, and more songs until we were finally set free at eight o'clock. I pulled into the driveway, bushed from an unbelievably long day. Jacob's motorcycle was parked beside Dean's truck, but not in my spot this time. _Glad he remembered. _

My heart sped up just enough for me to notice and place my hand on my chest willing it to a normal, healthy speed. Though I barely knew the guy, I couldn't help but feel elated at the idea of seeing Jacob again. His toned body and dark copper skin reminded me of warm hot chocolate, the homemade kind that actually looked like liquid chocolate bar, and his smile was so sincere and cute that I couldn't help but smile in return. He was warm (both physically and emotionally). And, as though all of that needed a cherry on top, we seemed to have quite a bit in common so far.

Heaving my jeep door open, I stepped out and left the book bag in the car. No homework tonight. _Thank you for lazy teachers_. I went around through the back door and kicked off my shoes then headed straight to the cupboard of cereal. I grabbed some store brand fruity rings and drowned them in milk. Shoving the first bite in my mouth, my next destination was the living room where I found Jacob and Dean battling aliens in an extreme game of Alien Invasion III.

"Hey guys," I greeted them, collapsing on the couch across from Jacob. Another spoonful of cereal made its way into my mouth.

"Hey sis," Dean said without taking his eyes off the screen.

"Hi Muse," Jacob turned his head to me smiling and getting his on-screen soldier killed in the process.

"You died," I pointed out through a mouthful of cereal.

"Oh," he glanced at the screen unsurprised, "Dean was kicking my butt anyway."

Dean grinned smugly as I double-checked the score. It was true; Dean was hard to beat when it came to first-person shooter games. I certainly couldn't touch him since first person shooter games tended to make me sick to my stomach.

"So what kept you so late at school?" Jacob asked, still not having bothered to join back in the video game.

"Musical" I answered, before cramming more cereal in my mouth.

"Oh yeah, Dean told me about that. You have a big part right?"

"Yeah. I got the lead nun."

"Cool. A nun." Jacob seemed to have forgotten about the game altogether; I noticed his soldier get killed for a second time.

"Dude, you playing or what?" Dean elbowed Jacob without missing a beat on his game.

"Sure, sure," he grabbed up the controller again and

I let Dean and Jacob finish their game while I took my dishes into the kitchen and debated returning to living room. Normally, I didn't like watching Dean (or anyone) play video games, preferring to play them myself. But tonight I could make an exception. I didn't have any homework; my interview was done; and I really wanted to hang out with Jacob some more, even if it just meant admiring his good looks in silence. He was obviously of Native American origins, and I wondered if all the men in his tribe (if he had one) were as big and solid as he was. I'd only met one of his friends; and although Seth was young and not quite as big, the boy obviously had muscles most professional athletes probably only dream of. Of course, I couldn't just sit and stare at Jacob without looking like a drooling fool, and try as I might, there was no way I could watch the screen on the television without going out of my mind within five minutes. So I ran upstairs and grabbed my iPod and whatever book I grabbed first and hurried back downstairs. I stuck my headphones in my ears, hit play, and opened up my book to the bookmark I'd placed at Chapter 5 whenever I'd last been reading it.

Not really reading or listening to the soft music coming from the speakers in my ears, I listened contentedly to Dean and Jacob's banter over the game. And occasionally, I felt brave enough to look up and watch Jacob play. After about twenty minutes of this. He caught me. I had peeked over my book for about the 10th time when Jacob's eyes jerked away from the screen and looked straight into mine. Startled and a bit embarrassed for getting caught at my little game, I looked down immediately and pretended as if nothing had happened/ Once I'd finished fake-reading the page I was on, I climbed off the chair and headed out to the kitchen. My face felt about a hundred degrees, and there was no doubt in my mind that my cheeks looked the color of a ripe radish. _Good time for some fresh air_.

Not even bothering with a sweatshirt, I stepped outside and headed straight for my own personal sanctuary. Halfway up a large oak tree in the backyard, hung a small treehouse that my father had built for Dean and I when we were younger. I cooled off as I strode across the yard and climbed the boards nailed to the tree that acted as a ladder. Once inside, I turned on the camping lantern I kept up there. The treehouse was my getaway anytime I felt stressed out or sad. It was full of good memories of Dean and I. It reminded me of a time when my parents were still here and life was much more "normal", much easier. Tonight I was feeling overwhelmed and began to wonder what in the world I was thinking. Guys as modelesque as Jacob or Edward don't date girls like me. Normal. Geeky. Partly broken girls. As I sat there alone, I pulled out my phone and pressed a button to check the clock.

_10:00_

Dean usually headed to bed around 10:30 during the week, so I figured I'd stay up here until around then. I opened the wooden chest in the corner where Dean and I would keep toys and books. Now I kept a few graphic novels and magazines and a blanket. I took out the blanket and most recent Entertainment Weekly that I had only skimmed before adding it to the pile. Twenty minutes later as I was reading about the most recent remake of _Doctor Who_, I heard a board creak behind me. Without a second thought, I twisted around and swung my leg at the same time; but whoever, it was grabbed my foot and held it in place. It took a second or two for me to discern who it was. "Jacob!"_ Geez I was trying to avoid guy for the rest of the night, but instead he comes and hunts me down_.

"Sorry," he said and glanced down at my foot still in his hand. "I scared you."

"A bit." I pulled my foot away and sat up with my legs crossed. "What are you doing up here?"

"Dean asked me to come see if you were up in the treehouse on my way out. He said to let you know he was heading to bed. And I'm supposed call if you're not here, but since you are…"

"Well. Thanks." I closed up my magazine and put it back in the wooden chest.

"No problem." He finished climbing up into the treehouse, and I shrank back into one corner. He was so big he took up at least two-thirds of the treehouse on his own. I sat there in silence for a moment, not sure what to say._ It's so much easier to talk to a guy when you aren't thinking about how sexy his body is or how lovely his eyes and face are_.

"I take it you don't like Alien Invasion," Jacob snapped me out of my momentary trance.

"First-person shooter games make me kind of queasy." That wasn't a lie.

"Oh," Jacob looked around the treehouse. The wooden walls were still covered in posters of Disney movies and superheroes from my childhood. He smiled. "Cool hideout."

"Yeah," I replied, "My dad built it. It's a nice place to escape to."

"Escape?" he questioned, frowning a little, "From what?"

"Whatever, " I shrugged, "LIfe."

"I get that," he nodded. Another moment of silence passed and the icy wind outside picked up blowing cold air in through the open window.

"Brrrr," I hugged the blanket I had tighter around my shoulders.

"Here," Jacob started to remove his jacket.

"No, no keep it on." I stopped him sharply. He looked up with stunned and somewhat hurt eyes.

I felt guilty. But if he gave me his jacket, there might be an expectation or feelings to go along with it. And he was Dean's friend. He worked with Dean, and I wasn't sure if I was prepared for these feelings especially for an older guy who lived on his own; who was obviously closer to settle down than me. Before I could say anything, I heard Jacob mumble something that sounded like, "Sorry," and then he quickly and silently started down the ladder. I sat cold and alone for a moment, trying to decide what to do. I saw Jacob out the window already closer to his bike than to me. I realized as I watched him that I didn't want to see him go, that a little part of me would be sad to not be near him; and my heart might actually ache, if I let him go thinking he'd done something to offend me. He hadn't. I was a broken person, but maybe I could be fixed…if it was the right person.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I hurried down the treehouse ladder so fast that about three or four steps down I lost my footing and fell the rest of the way landing flat on my back with a hard thud. I groaned and layed there not sure if I wanted to move, sure that when I tried to, something would be snap or just hurt like Bee-atch. Overtop me, Jacob's face appeared.

"You okay?" I couldn't tell in the dark exactly what emotions I saw in his face. _Worry? Amusement?_ Maybe a combination of the two.

"Yeah," I replied in a trembling voice. He put out his hand to help me up and took it. Luckily my back and butt were only a little sore and I was able to stand up without much trouble. Once I was up, I remembered why I'd been in such a hurry in the first place. I turned to look at Jacob. He seemed to be waiting for me to decide if I was hurt. I made sure his eyes caught mine before I stood on my tiptoes, grabbed his neck and pulled it down where I could reach, and kissed him. It was quick and sweet but real. It was a question that I needed to know the answer to. When I leaned back I waited. I couldn't smile. I was nervous. My heart was pounding from the adrenaline of the kiss and the nervousness of the unknown, of not knowing how he would respond. And then he smiled. His white teeth shone in the moonlight, and even though it was dark, I could see the way his whole form just melted like cake-batter sliding into a mold. Without a word he leaned down and placed one hand behind my head and one between my shoulder blades and kissed me back.

_Yes. His answer is yes._

This kiss lasted longer, went deeper. And this time he was the one to pull away. "Wow." he sighed, with that wonderful smirk on his face. Each of his features sharpened by the shadows of the late hour. I giggled. I giggled? Like a schoolgirl. I never giggled. "I've wanted to do that since the night I met you," he continued.

I raised my eyebrows, stunned. "Really?"

"Really," he assured me as he ran his fingers lightly down my spine.

_Wow. That feels amazing_.

"Muse?"

"Yeah?"

"I should probably go."

I checked my cell phone. It was already 10:45. "Yeah," I slipped the phone back in my pocket, "Dean is probably waiting to hear me come upstairs. Neither of us moved for another few seconds, but finally I stepped out of Jacobs grasp and turned towards the house. "G'night." I offered, giving Jacob a glance behind me.

"Night." He still stood planted to the ground.

I hurried inside and upstairs, making more noise than I really needed to. I hurried to my window to see if Jacob had moved yet. He had. I sighed, not so much out of disappointment but out of contentment. I didn't feel scared with Jacob. Maybe it was because he was so warm or maybe because he wasn't a mystery or possibly because he was Dean's friend and Dean had better instincts than I did. My phone buzzed in my back pocket.

I popped open the new text message. It was from Carmen.

_**Sup chica?**_

Instead of texting her back, I highlighted her name and pressed call. "Hey girl," I chimed, "You'll never believe the night I've had….


	7. Chapter 7: Unanswered Questions

**Alright reader's, this chapter isn't very eventful but bear with me. There are some important points that need to get out before we can get to the next chapter, and I promise it's going to be AWESOME! (Spoiler: Chapter 8 will have a horror scene!) I have to work on finishing Chapter 8 tomorrow, and maybe I could get it posted tomorrow night if I get enough comments to inspire me to work faster *wink**wink* Seriously pplz, hearing what you like and love about my story makes me appreciate you even more. :)**

Chapter 7: Unanswered Questions

The next day at school, Edward didn't say much. Lately, we spent any free time in classes talking about anything and everything. I hated to admit it, but I almost enjoyed my conversations with him better than with Carmen and James. He was knowledgable on just about any subject and held interests that most high-school boys were too naïve and downright dumb to understand. So his near silence was unusual. And when I asked him about it, he just shrugged and said he had a headache.

_Yeah right. _

Guys could be so moody sometimes…even worse than me every 28 days or so.

_And that's saying something._

By Friday, he was still giving me the cold shoulder and in study hall I sat with Carmen. I'd already regailed Monday night's events to her every day this week, and to my great relief she didn't ask me to do it again.

"You going to the game tonight?" Carmen asked. She had her Geometry book out, but had yet to start on a single problem from the assignment.

"Yeah." I flipped to the back of my Advanced Calculus book to check my answers. "I have musical practice until six-thirty and then I have to go warm-up with the drumline. I'll be in the bleachers with the pep band."

She grinned, "You know you could still go out for cheerleading. It's only the first game of the season. We could work you into the routines no prob."

I rolled my eyes in response. "Been there done that. It was fun, but I prefer the marching band thanks."

"'Kay" She wrote down her first math problem and then tapped her neon pink mechanical pencil against the table while concentrating on her page. Her eyes jerked up again when I closed my textbook and stuffed it in my bag. "You know Muse, homecoming is next week. We need to go shopping for dresses."

"Yeah," my voice rose an octave at the idea of a day of shopping, "and we should invite Kayla and Brianna."

"Absolutely!"

"And Alice." I caught sight of Edward out of the corner of my as I said the name to find him staring at me, his face completely unreadable.

"Alice?" Carmen questioned, unsure of who I meant.

I turned back to look at her. "Alice Cullen. Edward's sister. She was at the bonfire remember."

"Oh yeah," Carmen nodded, "She was nice. Sure Alice too. Let's head to Grand Rapids tomorrow morning around eleven.

"Sure. You take care of inviting Kayla and Brianna. I've got Alice covered. We can meet at your place."

Carmen stuffed her books in her bag, not really a book bag, more like a large red & black zebra striped purse that happened to be large enough for a couple of books and maybe a notebook. We both stood up and walked side by side to our lockers just as the bell rang.

When I entered the choir room later that day, I grabbed my folder and headed straight to my seat, and impatiently waited for Alice to sit down. She was usually early, and if she was early enough we would have a couple of minutes to talk before Mr. Shaffe started class. Sure enough Alice was through the door within seconds and seated beside me before I had time to blink. She moved so fast, just like Edward. It was a bit unnerving. But Alice was sweet. I did enjoy sitting beside her in choir.

"Hey Alice?" I greeted her with a question.

"Muse?" She smiled and turned her body toward me. Today she was wearing a cute baby doll top in dark green, with a pair of black leggings, and some high-heeled boots in a green almost identical to the top. Her necklace was a black ribbon with a large green stone pendant and earrings to match. I felt a bit like a hobo, in comparison with faded jeans, a purple Grant high soccer team t-shirt, and my purple and black high-topped chucks.

"Carmen and I and a couple of other girls are going shopping for homecoming tomorrow, and I was wondering if you would like to come?"

Alice's eyes lit up, and she bounced a little in her seat,. "I would love to. I love to shop."

With the way she dressed that did not surprise me.

"'Kay then I'll pick you up in the morning a few minutes before ten. We're meeting at Carmen's house around then. Could you text me your address? Edward has my number."

"Sure. Wonderful!" She clapped her hands together, and turned towards the front of the room just as the teacher entered and called the class to order.

The next morning, I got up showered, dressed in a pair of jeans & a tight-fitting teal sweater, put some makeup on, and straightened my hair. Once I'd blinked my contacts into position, I grabbed a pair of black sunglasses and slid them on top of my head until I would need them.

On the way out of the house, I grabbed a granola bar and poured myself a travel mug of coffee with some hazelnut creamer. The night before, Alice had texted me her address and I knew exactly where it was. It was further out in the country than my place, but not difficult to find. The house had once been owned by one of the old physicians in town, but he'd moved away when he retired. I pulled into the grouping of trees that enveloped the house and my jaw dropped when I saw the building in front of me.

The Cullens had obviously done some heavy renovations and updating. The house was beautiful. It was two-stories, and looked like it belonged in the old south, with a large open porch spanning the entire front of the house. The house was a bright white with dark blue shutters on all the windows. There was a new double swing on one side of the porch and a wicker bench on the other side. If it had been sunny out, the house would have been that much more lovely; but the sun was a scarce friend in Jamison, we were lucky to see it 2 or 3 times every couple of weeks.

Alice opened the door, smiling from ear to ear and slid out without revealing any of the house inside. She grabbed my wrist.

_Ow. She was strong._

"Ouch. Don't pull so hard girl." Alice stopped in her tracks and loosened her grip on me. I didn't see her face, but I waited a second until she kept going. We both climbed into my Jeep and headed to Carmen's. Carmen, Briann, and Kayla were all waiting in Carmen's mom's Edge when we arrived. They'd left the two center seats open for Alice and I. I let Alice in first and then slid in myself, pulling the door closed behind me.

"Hey Alice," Brianna greeted her.

"Hi Bree. Hi Kayla. Hi Carmen."

Carmen caught my eyed in the rearview mirror and winked. "Alright! Let's get this show on the road. Who's up for some tunes?"

We all hollered random agreements at the top of our lungs, hooting and hollering as the first song came over the speakers.

By five o'clock, Carmen, Kayla, and Brianna had already found dresses and decided to go scope out guys in the food court until Alice and I were finished. Alice claimed she already had a dress at home that was perfect for the dance, but she wanted to help me find something. I'd tried on at least twenty dresses from each store so far and all of them, according to Alice, were the wrong cut, the wrong length, or the wrong color. Five more dresses came flying over the top of the changing room door as I stood there in my pink and black Victoria's secret undies with a black, strapless push-up bra.

"So who are you going to the dance with?" Alice asked me through the door. I desperately wanted to say Jacob. I think Alice was hoping I'd say Edward, but the truth was that I didn't think either would be the case.

"Nobody," I answered, without making it sound like this was a disappointment, "Flyin' solo."

"Really? Can you do that?" she asked in subtle amazement.

"Sure." I laughed. "I always have. It's still a lot of fun. I dance with the girls, and when slow songs come on I either get off the dance floor or dance with some guy who aks me."

"Hmmmm."

I slipped into a violent purple party dress with a thick halter neckline. It was ruched and hugged my body all the way down to mid thigh. I stepped out of the dressing room, and twirled around in the dress for Alice.

"Perfect." She silently clapped. "I'll go find some shoes and accessories." And she glided off before I could object.

Once I'd slipped my jeans and t-shirt back on, I grabbed the dress leaving all the unwanted dresses in the room. (Don't hate on me. Picking up the dressing rooms is what the employees are paid to do.) And I searched the store for Alice. She was standing near the registers with a box in one hand, and a bracelet and earrings in the other. "Found some." She was beaming from ear to ear. That girl really did love to shop.

We laid the items on the counter at the register and the cashier rang up my total. Luckily, I'd convinced Alice that we needed to buy from the sale and clearance racks, so my total only ended up at three dollars and some change over budget. Bags in hand, we walked toward the food court to meet the rest of our crew and maybe grab a bite to eat.

"Alice?" I had been trying to talk to Alice about something all day, but with the other girls around it would have been difficult, so I decided it was now or never. "Is Edward angry with me?"

Alice raised her eyebrows and stopped walking, "Why would you think that?"

I coaxed her to start walking again before answering. "He wouldn't talk to me yesterday which is unusual, and I can't figure out if I did something wrong."

She shook her head, "I don't think it's really anything you did to him. He's been hurt Muse. I think sometimes when things start to get better for him, the slightest thing will set him back."

"Oh." It wasn't really an answer to my question, but I wasn't going to push it any further. Such a vague answer screamed _"I can't tell you any of the details." _Besides, we'd reached the food court. Alice spotted the girls and we headed to go sit with them.

After a quick dinner in the mall's food court, we headed home. I drove Alice back to her house in the Jeep. When we arrived I was shocked at the scene that was unfolding on the front lawn. Edward and _Jacob? _were standing about ten yards apart yelling at each other. Without thinking, I jumped out of the jeep and headed towards the two of them. "She's not Renesmee!" Edward screamed out

"What's going on?" I shouted as I got closer.

"Nothing Muse," Edward snarled. He had that same horrific look on his face as the other day at school, the one that could have turned my blood to ice.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Jacob barked at Edward.

"Don't tell me what to do mut!"

"What the hell guys?" I closed more distance between us. They ignored me. Before either of them could yell anymore, five more people filed out of the house. _Edward's family._

"Boys," a younger man, who looked to be in his mid-twenties with blonde hair and gentle eyes took control of the situation, "I think we all just need to calm down. Jacob. Perhaps you should go. This obviously isn't a good time to have this 'conversation'."

Jacob stomped off into the woods. _Where's he going? How will he get home? Where's his motorcycle? _

"Muse," Alice turned my attention toward her. "Would you like to meet my family?" Obviously she wasn't going to address the argument we'd just witnessed either. I turned to look at the group of people in front of me. They were all beautiful with porcelain skin and dark eyes, the color of thick honey.

"This is my father Carlisle," she motioned to the man who had broken up the fight. He took my hand. "Hello Muse. Pleasure to meet you."

"And this is my mother Esme." Another woman stepped forward offering me her hand. She was short with honey-colored hair and a rounded face that suited her small stature.

"It's wonderful to meet you Muse." She shook my hand. "It seems you've become good friends with my Edward and Alice."

"Yes." I nodded.

"And that's Rosalie and Emmett." Emmet, a large, heavily muscled young man with dark hair waved and smiled. But the woman beside her frowned. Even while frowning she was breathtaking. Her blonde flowing hair shaped her slender face perfectly. She reminded me of the gorgeous silent film stars from the 1920s.

"Hi." I cautiously waved back.

"And you've already met Jasper."

He and I both nodded. "Well, sorry to cut this short but I'd better go," I turned on my toes to leave. But as I turned, Edward blocked my path.

"Can we talk?" I noticed him shoo his family off with a quick movement of his left hand. And when I looked back, they were already halfway up the lawn.

"She will never be Bella," I heard a female's voice grumble behind me, almost at a whisper but loud enough for everyone, including me, to hear.

I turned back to see them almost at the house now. "Hush Rose," Esme scolded.

_Bella?_

Edward frowned as he saw the interest arise in my face.

"Okay so talk," I demanded. And suddenly, his face turned from displeasure to bewilderment.

"Ummm…." He seemed unable to vocalize whatever his thoughts were. _Edward was never lost for words_. "I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. Still friends?"

I eyed him suspiciously. "You sure you want to be my friend? Just my friend?"

"Sure." He pulled one side of his mouth up into a smile, befitting of the statement he'd just made.

"'Kay then. So in that case, do you think you could come over after school tomorrow I'm in trouble with my Physics project."

He frowned again. "I can't. My family and I are going campng tomorrow and we won't be back for a few days."

"But what about school?" I kicked a loose rock at my feet toward the trees as I said it.

"It will be too nice to be in school. Carlisle's got it covered."

"Whatever." I shrugged not all that thrilled about spending the next few school days without my conversation buddy in class, or about the B I was doomed to receive on my Physics project. Physics was the only subject I ever struggled in. "Well, I really should go before it gets too late. Dean wants me home at a decent hour tonight."

Edward opened my door for me and I climbed into my vehicle. I performed a three-point turn while getting buckled in and waved behind before speeding out of the driveway.

I arrived home to find Dean snoring loudly on the living room couch with the post-game commentary blaring off the television screen. "Hey Dean." I shoved his body with my foot. "Bed."

"'Kay." He mumbled and trudged up the stairs to his room without another word.

Once I was in my pj's and settled down for the night, I had time to think about the days events. And one thing really irked me. It wasn't that Jacob and Edward were fighting. I already knew that they didn't like each other. For some unknown reason. But it was what Edward's sister Rosalie had said.

_Bella. So that's what Alice had meant about Edward being hurt. There had been a girl. Bella._

_I fell asleep imagining what Bella might have looked like, what her personality might have been like, and most of all how she had hurt Edward so badly. _


	8. Chapter 8: Homecoming

**Alright everyone, here comes the horror! This was a lot of fun to write. :D Appropriately, I titled the chapter "Homecoming". I mean really, when does homecoming in books and movies ever end in something good happening? Can't wait to hear your thoughts…Enjoy it! And I should have the next chapter out in the next few days. -Princess Hera**

Chapter 8: Homecoming

"Are you going to ask Edward to the dance on Friday?" Carmen's question broke my concentration as I tried to decipher a paragraph from Shakespeare's _A Midnight Summer's Dream_. And I have to admit, it was a relief to be interrupted. Shakespeare was so difficult to follow in print; on stage was so much easier.

"No," I answered, sounding disappointed. Not because I wanted to go with Edward but because I was nervous about asking the guy I really did want to go with. _Jacob._

"What about Jacob then?"

I shook my head vigorously. "He's not even a student."

"So?" she shrugged, "There's always a few girls who bring college boys as dates."

"I know but all we've done is kiss… once. And Dean doesn't even know that…well that Jacob and I…you know. "

"Oh." She was lost for an answer to that conundrum.

"Plus, Edward and Jacob really don't like each other; so if I brought Jacob then Edward would be giving me the cold shoulder all night." _And they might possibly start a fight in public. _I glanced over at the empty table where Edward usually studied during this period. I had been utterly miserable during most of my classes without him there to keep me company. None of my good friends were in the advanced classes. In fact, most of the people in my classes were with the "popular" crowd, which is just what I consider to be a crowd of people who act like jerks and think they're better than everyone else because they are good at sports or school or something. Though really, academically, none of them were as smart as me. (not that I'm bragging, my transcripts speak for themselves.) "I'm fine going solo as always. I will still have fun."

"'Course you will. You can even ride with Zach and I to the dance if you want."

"That's alright, I may want to take off early." I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear "I'll drive myself. But would you mind coming over to do my hair and makeup. You can do so much better than I can."

She flashed a red-carpet smile. "Absolutely. I'll get online during keyboarding II and get some ideas for your hair."

"Okay but nothing too extravagant," I chided, "It's only homecoming and I need to leave something to be desired for prom."

She chuckled as her phone buzzed on the table. She picked it up and started pressing buttons with her thumbs faster than I could type on a computer. It was probably Zach. They texted back and forth all day long. It was adorable, and I couldn't help the surge of envy that burned in my stomach for that to happen to me. I let her enjoy the silent conversation and turned back to Shakespeare.

_Well at least Shakespeare's romances aren't perfect._

Edward was gone the rest of the week and so was Alice. It had been gorgeous outside, sunny and seventy degrees which was Incredibly unusual for mid-September. The crazy weather had allowed most people, including myself to enjoy one last romp around school in shorts before the cold weather hit and we were doomed to at least five months of jeans and sweatshirts. I had been so distracted by practices and all the events of the week at school that I had completely forgotten Saturday at the Cullen's house. That is, until I got a text from Mr. I-Have-Mood-Issues himself during study hall on Friday morning.

_**Hey sorry again bout Sat. my place. Hope u got ur Physics project done alright w/o me. See u the dance 2nite**_

I was sitting in front of one of the library's computers trying to put some finishing touches on a report covering the underlying relationship's in _A Midsummer Night's Dream _His text reminded me that I was planning on doing something I rarely did. I was going to stalk Edward, at least for a few minutes. I'd remembered the name from Saturday and typed "Bella" into the Google search box hit the + sign and typed in "Edward Cullen" hit another + sign and typed in "Forks, Washington". I knew it was a long shot. I mean really, the one time I searched my name on Google I couldn't even find a link to the online yearbook at Grant High even though I was featured on at least twelve pages each year so far.

The page loaded almost instantaneously and I clicked on images first. Searching for a person went faster if you looked for a face rather than a specific name. I gasped when I saw the fifth picture on the first page. It was a picture of Edward, Edward Cullen standing alongside a pretty very thin brunette. And what was worse? She was in a wedding dress and he was in a tuxedo. I clicked on the link, and it loaded the archives for Forks, Washington's local paper. The article below the picture read as follows:

**Edward Anthony Cullen and Isabella Marie Swan were united in marriage on August 13****th****, 2006. Edward is the son of Carlisle and Esme Cullen. Isabella Swan is the daughter of Charlie Swan and Renee Dwyer. Both Edward and Isabella graduated from Forks High-School in May of 2006, and they plan to attend the University of Alaska. They were wed at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Carlisle Cullen and followed the ceremony with a reception and dance in the backyard of the home. Family & friends joined in the celebration of their union.**

_What. The. Hell?_

I picked up the phone about to dial Edward up at that very moment, but hesitated as my finger slid over the call button. _What would I say? _"Edward are you married?" I looked at the article again. It was dated August 20th, 2006. Okay this had to be some mix-up. Edward must have had a cousin, a cousin who very creepily looked just like him who married a girl named Bella. _Who had parents' named Carlisle and Esme too? _I clicked in the search bar about to do more searching but couldn't bring myself to do it. I had a feeling whatever a found, it wouldn't make me feel any better even if there was more to find. I would have to confront Edward at the dance tonight and get him to explain because I was starting to feel like I might have fallen into the Twilight Zone or something. If this article was true. And if that really was Edward, then Edward had not aged a day in at least twenty years.

That night Mr. Schaffe didn't make us practice for the musical. There was a parade in the afternoon where I marched with the rest of band. And considering the freakishly warm weather, I was truly grateful that I was a percussionist and not in any other section. The rest of the band had to suffer in wool silver and purple jackets and pants (the school colors), with big tall hats that had a shiny plume sticking out of the top. However, the drumline got to wear purple and silver jackets, with the same wool pants, and purple bandanas. Following the parade was the homecoming pep-rally where I played in the pep band. I watched Carmen fly through the air with the rest of the cheer leading squad during a sexy, not incredibly elaborate dance routine that they'd put together to a mix of the currently-most-popular songs on the radio. The game was scheduled early, so that the dance could start at a decent hour. And the band and cheerleaders were allowed to leave at halftime to get ready for the dance.

Carmen met me at my house just after the half-time show ended. She spread out all the makeup and hairspray and curling irons she'd brought with her in the bathroom, and I grabbed a stool from the kitchen and hauled it upstairs to the bathroom. I slipped out of my marching clothes, and stepped into a pair of shorts and a stretchy camisole that could easily be slipped down over my hips rather than up over my face and hair.

"Okay, first stop hair." Carmen stood up and shoved me down onto the stool. "Get ready, my Musette, because when I'm done with you, you are going to be a Goddess."

I giggled, "Go to it Senorita Beauty." I pressed play radio/iPod player I had set up in the bathroom and Carmen and I sang along to most of the songs as she worked her magic. During the songs we didn't know, she would gossip about some of couples at school, who was on and off. Finally after about forty-five minutes of heating and spraying and brushing and blotting, I was done. "Gorgeous!" Carmen squealed in delight as she admired her own handy-work. My hair was in about a hundred spiral curls and one side was pinned up and back with a purple flower that would match my dress, and the makeup wasn't too much, some purple and silver eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara with some light pink lip gloss. (Of course there was foundation too, to hide the few light freckles and uneven skin tone.) I smiled at myself. I liked my smile in general. My teeth weren't incredibly white due to my lack of dental hygiene from about 1st to 8th grade, and when I smiled you couldn't see my bottom teeth, just the large set of top teeth which was probably for the best since even after 5 years of braces, my bottom teeth were still obviously crooked.

"Thanks hon." I grabbed Carmen's hand for a moment. It was moments like this that I really missed my mother. If she were here, she would have been the one curling my hair and helping me with my makeup, and I couldn't imagine what life would be like without Carmen to at least fill some of the voids.

Carmen lifted up on my shoulders and made me stand then swatted me on the butt. "Now go get dressed. I need to get myself beautified." It only took about twenty minutes for Carmen to finish her own hair and makeup. She looked much hotter than me. Her hair was in curls as well, pulled back behind her head with a huge flower poked in on one side. And her makeup was striking, a dark eye shadow with bright red lipstick and thick dark mascara. We both changed into our dresses. Carmen had picked out a beautiful red dress with off-shoulder sleeves; it hugged her body and then flowed loosely below the hips, cutting off just above the knees. Just as I finished attaching the second earring to my right ear, "Oops I Did It Again" came on over the radio blasting from the bathroom.

"Oh my gosh!" I squealed, "Remember…" I pointed at the computer. "Eighth Grade Talent Show!" We screamed together. I grabbed a hairbrush and handed it to her then picked up a bottle of lotion for myself. We posed in the center of the room and engaged in a crudely choreographed dance, made even worse by the fact that we were both wearing heels, as we sang into our makeshift microphones. Hitting the final note and striking a superstar pose, applause and whistling rang out from the doorway. There stood Dean, Shawn, and Jacob. Carmen and I looked at each other giggling and bowing for our audience.

"You two should go on tour!" Dean teased.

Shawn stood there with his mouth wide open. "You girls are hot!"

Carmen and I rolled our eyes.

Jacob didn't say anything. And he didn't have too; the look in his eyes was pure fascination. I smirked. It was so hard not to let my interest in seem Jacob obvious, and I really couldn't, not with Dean standing right in the room. So I walked over and shut the door in the boys' faces. We heard the clamor of the boys piling down the stairs, and then collapsed onto the bed in fits of laughter.

"That was so embarrassing." I whimpered, while still giggling.

"I know," Carmen mumbled.

"Okay." I sat up. "Mirror check and then we head out." We replaced a few loose hairs and then climbed downstairs our heels clicking with each step, announcing the descent. The boys were all sitting in the living room sipping Cokes.

Carmen lightly elbowed me and cocked her head toward Jacob. "Uh Jacob…." I swept my hand in from of my best girlfriend. "This is Carmen. Carmen this is Jacob." Jacob took Carmen's hand and shook it. She blushed lightly. "Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Muse's best friend and personal stylist."

"Well, Carmen. You did a damn good job." He eyed me again.

"Thank you." Carmen curtsied and then headed for the door. "See you at the dance chica."

"'Kay. See ya." I waved her off and walked over to the closet to retrieve my purse and keys.

"No date?" Shawn asked incredulously watching me as I sifted through my purse making sure I had cash and my phone.

"Nope." I opened my wallet. There was a ten and a five, more than enough for the evening.

"Need a ride?" I looked up. That had been Jacob's voice. I then looked over at Dean. He just shrugged, obviously not reading anything into Jacob's offer to drive me to the dance. Shawn, on the other hand, was staring bullets into the side of Jacob's head, completely pissed that he hadn't thought of offering a ride first. _Not that I would a ride from you anyway, Shawn._

And it hit me, Jacob had known Edward when he lived in Forks. Maybe I could see if he knew anything about this Bella girl. "Sure why not?" I dropped my keys in the purse too so I would have a way to get back into the house if Dean was already in bed by the time I got home. Jacob stood up from the recliner and walked ahead of me to the front door. Gosh he was tall. My head barely reach his shoulders, at 5 foot 2 inches I was already shorter than most people. He held the door open for me and we headed out to where the cars were parked.

I noticed his bike was missing

"I brought the Rabbit with me tonight." He pointed to the yellow Volkswagen next to Dean's truck.

"Well, that's a relief," I opened the passenger door. "Carmen would probably have killed me and then left the dance to go kill you if I showed up with my hair all wind-blown and mussed."

He laughed low in his chest. As soon as I'd buckled myself in, I heard the familiar low chimes of my phone and immediately reached down to answer it. The caller I.D. told me it was Carmen calling.

"What did you forget?" I asked into the phone before Carmen could get a greeting out. She was constantly forgetting something at my house. It was ritual that anytime she came over, I would end up in my car returning some item of clothing or CD that she'd forgotten to grab.

"Muse!" Carmen wailed through the phone, crying in broken sobs, "Zach. He broke up with me. I'm so…so…" She started crying again.

"What happened Carmen?" my smile failed and my forehead creased in worry.

She got caught up in a few more sobs. "I don't know. Muse I need you. Please come get me."

"Of course honey, where are you?" I motioned for a confused Jacob in the driver's seat next to me to start the car.

"Zach's house."

"Okay, just hang on. I'll be right there."

Expecting Carmen to be waiting and ready to jump in, I waited for a minute or two before making the decision to go in. It was concerning that she hadn't come out to meet me yet. As I opened the door, Jacob finally said something.

"Do you want me to go in with you?"

_Yes. _"No," I lied, "Go back to my house. I'll drive Carmen home in her car." Which was sitting parked in front of the mailbox.

Jacob got a very uncomfortable, pained look on his face. He studied the house for a moment. I had not missed the fact that the windows were dark. And, yes, it made me a little nervous. But if Carmen was in distress, she wouldn't want a strange guy there to see her in her depressed state. I waved to Jacob as I entered through the garage. Once inside the house, I Immediately called out.

"Carmen?"

No answer.

The house was quiet and dark. Not like the dark of pulling the curtains that is relaxing and comfortable. The blackness darkening the house was like the dark that sets in just after midnight. After midnight, everyone in a small town is at home in bed; the animals are quiet, even the crickets; and suddenly time slows to one-fourth its speed; and the light of dawn seems as though it will never come. Such darkness seeps in through your skin, and you feel cold. The hair on the back of your neck rises, and goose bumps crawl up your arms. That darkness reaches your heart, your soul and replaces every positive emotion with loneliness, fear, and hopelessness.

My gut instinct told me to turn and run, run as fast as I could as far as I could.

_But I can't leave Carmen alone in this house._

I crept down the hallway into the kitchen. "Carmen?" I whispered.

"Carmen's not home," cold female voice from around the corner. That voice reminded me of a snakes hiss. It was beautiful and enticing but still felt so wrong, so wicked.

"Who's there?"

No answer. Silence. I could hear the sound of the air rushing from the air conditioner, the soft hum of the refrigerator, and the tinkle of wind chimes somewhere outside. No longer glued to the floor, I slowly inched forward, turning into the living room heading in what I thought was the direction of the front door. I was getting out of here

_Where was my cell phone? _I fumbled in my purse, my hands trembling so hard I couldn't get a good grasp on anything..

Crossing the threshold onto the hardwood floor of the living room. I had a fraction of a second to realize that the floor beneath my heels was slick. I hit the floor, my head pounded against the solid oak. I closed my eyes and bit my lip to keep myself from crying out in pain. After a few seconds, the gut-wrenching pain subsided to a dull ache, and I could open my eyes where it took another moment to adjust to the intense darkness. As I sat up on the floor, I felt the sensation of a warm, sticky substance covering the back of my arms and head and hands. Carefully, I reached up for a light switch.

Three dim overhead lights buzzed on. I looked down to examine my arms and hands. They were covered in a red paint of some sort. I then let my eyes fall to where I'd collapsed. There was an entire, now disrupted, pool of the red paint. But, as my gaze moved a little to the right, I found the source of the puddle. It wasn't paint.

_It's blood!_

Intuitively, I scanned the rest of the room. The floor was dolloped with blood pools and smears. Furniture had been overturned or broken. Lines of arterial spray plastered the wall. Again my eyes fell to the blood's source. No doubt about who that large, built body belonged to. It was Zach. My brain couldn't comprehend whether to scream or cry, but somehow I ended up on my knees crawling towards Zach with my breaths coming to fast. The words "Zach's body" didn't form in my head. Unfortunately, this is the kind of situation where intelligence can be a curse. My mind calculated the amount of blood in the room, and I regrettably concluded that Zach could not have been the only victim. I clawed my way around Zach, peering behind the couch. I let out a horrified cry. In front of me were the bodies of Zach's mother and baby sister, their open eyes stared at me in pure terror.

Tearless sobs emanated from my chest. I clamored back to the kitchen until I reached one of the counters and used the corner of the countertop to haul myself to my feet.

"Muse? You weren't just going to leave me were you?" the female voice came again from behind me, and the lights above me buzzed on.

I slowly turned around to face Carmen. I tried to hold back tears. My entire body trembled as I stared at the blood-drenched woman standing in front of me. Or was she a woman? What stood in front of me looked a lot like Carmen; she had the same build, the same face shape, the same hair color and the same clothes. But it couldn't be her. This thing, this creature menaced over the situation. Her red eyes stared hungrily at me. Her hair lay in shambles; and her skin was almost as white as me in mid-winter.

"Carmen!" I stammered in a whisper, "Are you okay? Zach. What happened?" In the pit of my stomach I knew what happened, or I had an idea.

"Oh." She grinned her teeth gleaming. "We played a little game. It was lots of fun." She slowly began to close the distance between us. "I thought we could play a game too, Muse."

I took a deep breath, clueless as to what to do.

_I need to get out of here. I need a weapon._

As Carmen moved toward me, I hoped was still on the corner of the counter closest to where I stood knife

"What kind of game?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.

_I just need to keep her talking._

I moved my foot back a bit further.

"It's a surprise. I know you're not a big fan of surprises, but I am." She grinned again and laughed bitterly. I jumped back, and reached across the counter. Mid-reach Carmen's eyes flew to my hand then to the block of knives. I grabbed for one; but in the time it took me to move my hand an eighth of the distance, Carmen had flown between me and the set of knives. She hit me in the chest, and I flew across the room colliding with a shelf of pictures and glassware. A sharp, stabbing pain in my chest shortened my breaths even further than before. I tried to scream. She leapt and crouched on top of me and shook her head still sporting that horrific smile.

_Her eyes. I'd seen that look once before. Please somebody help me. Please God, send me help._

"Be still," Carmen whispered, "It will hurt much more if you struggle." Not that her warning mattered. Every muscle, every ligament and tendon, every bone in my body locked.

"Please…Carmen Please. Don't kill me," I begged, tears streaming down the sides of my face.

She growled. Her smile faded and a new face took its place, one full of rage and frustration in this face.

"As I said before, Carmen is no longer here."

I whimpered as she slapped me across the face. The blow felt like a bag of bricks colliding with my face.

Knowing you're about to die isn't peaceful. You don't just let go and give in, and you're life does not flash before your eyes. Knowing death is near can be closely compared to being paralyzed. You can't move. You are unable to stop death and pain from ensuing. At the same time, all other senses kick into overdrive. In that moment, I tasted the sweat beads dripping down the front and sides of my face and over my lips. I felt the icicle-like hands Carmen stroked my neck with as well as the hot, putrid breath that spilled out from her mouth as she spoke to me. I heard the silence of the house, reminding me that nobody was coming; I was all alone facing a monster.

Closing my eyes, I waited for the pain and hoped it would be quick. The pain never came. Carmen growled again, and out of nowhere, the sound of glass shattering filled the room and the suffocating weight on top of me disappeared.

_I'm dead _was my initial though. _It was quick and now I'm in heaven or maybe hell. No way to be sure yet._

I opened my eyes, to find I was still in the kitchen lying on my back. A large figure had thrown Carmen across the room. She'd crumpled to the floor in the corner of the kitchen near the living room. For an instant, I thought she was unconscious; however, after a second or tow, she began to stir and raised herself off the floor. But before she could move one step, an enormous animal leapt on top of her. And the man who had saved me picked me up in both arms and ran with me out the front door to his

_BMW. No Way!_

I looked up into the face of the person carrying me. "Edward?" I gasped….just before blacking out.


	9. Chapter 9: Fact or Fiction

**Hope I was able to get this chapter up fast enough for all my readers. This was probably one of the toughest chapters to write. It can become tedious when your character has to have everything explained to them, unfortunately it won't be the last time. Hope everyone enjoys the chapter, and please comment and let me know what you thought (I'd even love to hear comments about the previous chapters as well!)**

Chapter 9: Fact or Fiction

I woke up inside a moving vehicle. I rubbed my eyes, wiping away the blurry images in front of me, and my vision cleared. Edward sat next to me in the driver's seat. The last hour came back to me in a rush, and I began sobbing uncontrollably. I grabbed for my phone, first the floor, then my pockets with no luck. I needed to call Dean…James…someone.

"Your cell phone is still back at the house."

"Where are you taking me?" I asked meekly between sobs. I looked up to see where we were and found nothing but fields and trees.

"Somewhere safe." Edward's face was like stone, pale and intent.

"Where the hell are you taking me Cullen?" I screamed as my emotions curved from petrified to livid. I winced. The yelling had instigated a sharp pain in my chest that took my breath away. It was exactly how I thought being stabbed with a knife would feel.

"My place." And I felt the car accelerate. As though ninety miles an hour wasn't fast enough!

I gritted my teeth against the pain in my chest. "No way I want to go home." I flew at Edward and grabbed the wheel, trying to do a U-turn. "Take me home now!"

"No," Edward calmly removed my hands from the wheels and pressed me back into my seat. The car never swerved.

"Please," I broke down again, feeling the danger of the situation settle over me. "Please take me home. Don't hurt me. Please."

Edward slammed on the brake and threw out his arm. I hit it full force as Newton's first law of motion took effect. "Ow!" My chest was on fire now.

He turned to me, his face now contorted in pain. "I will not hurt you Muse. But you need to quit telling me to take you home. Don't even think it. I'm taking you somewhere safe, somewhere where you can get those broken ribs taken care of." I felt the truth in his words. It didn't make me any less scared or angry, but at least I felt hope that I might not die in the next few minutes. Edward continued on, and we turned off onto the long, wooded drive that led to the Cullen's house.

Alice descended the front steps as we pulled up looking frightened. "Oh Edward! You two are okay! After the wolf showed up, I couldn't see anything."

_Well that officially makes no sense. _I couldn't even begin to guess at what Alice meant when she spoke.

"I'm fine," Edward assured her and leapt out of the driver's seat, rushing over to my side, "But Muse is in pretty bad shape. Where's Carlisle?" He lifted me out of the passenger seat. I cried out in pain. My whole body felt like one big bruise, and the sharp pains in my chest made it harder and harder to breathe every passing second. I wanted to yell at Edward some more or maybe ask him some questions, like what had he been doing at Zach's, but decided to save it for after the excruciating pain could be tamed.

"He's inside. In the living room," Alice walked ahead of us up to the house. Once inside, Edward laid me down on the couch. There were other's in the room, but I was having trouble focusing on more than one thing at a time.

Carlisle kneeled beside me on the couch. His voice was empathetic and all of his features tender. "Hi Musette. I'm gonna fix you up if that's alright with you?" Dr. Carlisle seemed to possess marvelous bedside manner. I nodded slightly, the only movement I could manage without triggering any sort of pain. Carlisle reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small syringe. I felt the tiny, sharp poke in my left arm, and by the count of five the room had started to fade and then nothing. I was in complete darkness…no thoughts, no feelings, no dreams.

When I woke, Edward was sitting on the floor next to the couch. Carlisle was standing at the end of the couch near my feet. The rest of the Cullens were crowded near the back of the room next to a set of beautiful French doors that displayed the beautiful star-filled night outside. Something you learned to appreciate when clouds covered the stars ninety-percent of the time. I moved just a little bit to see how bad it was. The pain wasn't too bad. _Carlisle must have given me something. _

Edward turned toward me, and I ignored his attempt at eye contact. Underneath my dress I felt some sort of a wrap going all the way around my torso. All I could think for a second was _I really hope that nobody but Dr. Carlisle saw me without my dress on._ I caught Carlisle's attention. "You had a few broken ribs Muse. I set them and bandaged you up. You'll have to stay in bed for a few days to let them start to heal up correctly. There were lacerations on your arms, one of your legs, and one on your head that I stitched up. And you also have an abundance of bruising all over your body. I'm going to give you some pain killers to take for the next week or two."

_Great! What the hell is Dean gonna think?_

Edward answered the question I'd just asked myself/ "We've contacted Dean. He thinks that you were struck by a car when I drove you to go check on Carmen. (I winced at the name.) I called Carlisle, and we brought you here since it was closer than the hospital in Bena. Carlisle's supposed to call when your awake. " I blinked trying to process what he was saying, without much luck.

"Can I move?" I looked up at Carlisle.

"You can sit up. Take it slow though."

I pushed myself up enough so that my shoulders were propped against the arm of the couch. Despite the mind-dulling effects of the pain killers and after effects of anesthesia, I could recall every horrid second of the last few hours. The fear, the confusion, the anger all came bubbling up to the surface.

Edward's brow furrowed in concern and he gently placed his cool hand on my forearm. "Muse, everything's going to be alright."

Then I snapped. "No It's not!" I yelled at Edward. Ignoring Carlisle's warning, I jumped up and over the arm of the couch, heading for the front door. Edward and Alice somehow got to the door first blocking my exits. "I thought you were my friends. Stay away from me." Both of them took a few steps away from the door. I didn't bother to look at their faces but reached out for the door knob. It wouldn't open. I jerked the knob even harder. Still, it wouldn't budge. I whipped around.

"Sorry, we really can't let you leave yet," Edward frowned.

"Muse." Alice tried to step forward but quickly stepped back, twitching as though she'd been shocked by an invisible electric field. "Listen," she flustered, "We are you're friends. You saw something horrible back there. And I know you're feeling scared but you need to stay here and listen for a little bit."

"It's not safe in here! Who?...What are you? How do you know what I saw?" I screamed on the verge of tears. I abandoned the door and rushed over to the window, trying to raise it as well. It was locked up tight too. I pounded on the glass. "Please open. Please, please." I collapsed onto the floor just below the window and began to sob, "Please, please, please."

"Jasper," Alice called out, in what direction I didn't notice, "I think we need you down here." I heard the sound of footsteps descending the staircase. After I'd counted twelve footsteps or so, I started to feel my anxiety lessen. A wave of calm rushed over me. I could tell that in the pit of my stomach I should be upset, but I couldn't actually be upset. Edward beckoned me. "C'mon Muse. You're smart enough to know that something is very wrong, and I promise we are the good guys. Please come back and lay down before you rebreak your ribs and Carlisle has to start all over."

I gave in and let Edward walk me over to the couch. Jasper followed close behind, staying within close proximity of me. Now, I felt exhausted beyond belief as though I hadn't slept a wink in the last week. I looked around at everyone with resentful eyes, except for Carlisle. "Well if I'm stuck here then somebody better start explaining."

The room fell ghostly silent. The Cullens looked at each other in bewilderment.

"What?" I cried out in exasperation.

"Nothing," Edward waved off the others reactions, "I'll explain, but you have to listen and try to understand that much of what I say will be difficult, if nor impossible to believe."

I heard someone near the French doors at the back of the room let out a low growl, and when I looked over I surmised that it had to be Rosalie. Everyone but her looked fairly calm and collected again while Rosalie's eyes burned with resentment. As stared at me, she spoke to the group, "This is against the rules! The Volturi-"

"The Volturi no longer deserve our respect," Edward spat back at Rosalie. Her eyes snapped in his direction, and she glowered at him before sweeping up the stairs, Emmett hurried after her, and Edward continued with his explanation, "First, the reason I know what you saw back there is because we, my family and I, are the same. We are the same type-of creatures that did this to Carmen." I held my breath waiting for the name. "Vampires."

I stiffened and my face went blank. _It answers a lot of questions. _But of course it was impossible. And if not impossible, definitely terrifying. Edward continued, "And Carmen" -My face contorted in pain again as he said the name for a second time. I watched Edward flinch in response to my pain. - "She was turned into a vampire."

_._

As I was taking in all he was saying, I focused on my breaths which were becoming more shallow. W_hy was I still sitting here. These people are vampires. It could just as well have been them who turned Carmen, who killed Zach and his family._

"We would never do this" Edward's face seemed painfully sincere. I looked around the room at the faces still watching me. At this moment, they didn't look like monsters. The compassion and empathy in their eyes made them seem like normal humans, humans who cared. "How can I trust you though? You're saying that vampires did this, and yet you say you're vampires." _Which is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. This had to be some cruel prank._

Carlisle answered me. "We are just a few of the small number of vampires who have chosen a specific lifestyle. We only drink animal blood, not human blood."

And contrary my belief that this was a joke, something about Carlisle convinced me he was not lying. He seemed so kind and compassionate. He had a wife and a family. _A family of vampires. Vampires…_

As the word sunk in, I remembered something else.

"What about the dog? Or wolf? Or whatever it was? The one that…." I trailed off, my eyes pleading Edward to answer the question even though I couldn't bring myself to finish.

"Werewolf. Sort of." Edward answered me.

"Sort of?"

"It's complicated."

"Okay…but who was it?"

"Jacob," Edward growled.

My eyes had become unfocused and glazed. _Werewolves. Jacob. Jacob was werewolf._ I craned my neck back and shut my eyes tight. _This was all a bit too much to handle. No, strike that, way too much to handle. The two new guys, one a good friend, one more than a friend, are a vampire and a werewolf. Man, I've got a headache._

Without opening my eyes I asked Edward, "So what did you do with Carmen?" Edward never answered. I opened my eyes, and his face gave me what I already knew. Carmen had been killed. My world became hazy again.

Edward directed a pleading look at Carlisle, and Carlisle nodded. "Perhaps it's time to take her home," Carlisle admitted. Carlisle stooped down to my level. "Musette, I know this is much more than one person should have to process at any point in time. But you need to do something for me. You need to take it easy and rest for a few days." Carlisle's demeanor, his fraternal instincts reminded me of my Dad, and given my current circumstances that just brought on a another flood of distress. I nodded gingerly, not trusting my voice just now. Carlisle stood back up and slid in beside Esme. "Good."

"I'll drive you home," Edward offered. He lifted me off the couch without asking my permission, but I didn't fight it. I hurt too much to try walking again so soon, and the room was spinning so much I knew that my balance was probably non-existent at the moment. If he wanted to kill me, there probably wasn't much I could do about it anyway. Edward didn't look at me, but his face was full of sorrow.

"Should I ride along?" I heard Jasper ask.

"No," Edward answered without even a glance behind him. "I don't think we'll need your help anymore. Muse needs to deal with this herself." _His help? He hadn't helped. He'd barely even said a word._

I avoided Edward's face as he carried me out to his car. I looked back and caught a glimpse of Rosalie watching us depart from one of the upstairs windows. Edward steered the car up and out of the driveway and onto the road. The gentle vibrations lulled me in and out of consciousness, I couldn't be sure how I got into bed. I vaguely remember being carried to my front door and handed off to a very distressed looking Dean. He asked me a question, but I was too disoriented to answer.

The next day, I woke up with a start. At least the painkillers had done their job and kept away any pain or nightmares, so I was able to actually rest. The sun was deep orange and bright, casting long shadows of my furniture across the floor, and I cast a glance over at the clock beside my bed. _4:51 p.m_. I felt the stiffness and soreness of my beaten body and reached over to my nightstand. I unscrewed the bottle of painkillers someone had left with me and swallowed one washing it down with a swig of stale water. Somehow, Dean had gotten me into a nightshirt for which I was incredibly grateful. I sat up slowly and it wasn't until I had gotten my balance at the side of the bed that I noticed a figure in the corner of my room, slouched behind the television. It was Jacob. I started at the sight of him, and then willed myself to calm down.

"So a werewolf huh?" I couldn't hide the uneasiness in my voice.

"Technically not a werewolf." He tilted his face up to look at me now.

"Okay…" I started to feel the headache from the previous night resurfacing, "So not a werewolf. But like a werewolf?"

He nodded.. His face was solemn and the sadness in his eyes could have would have brought Hitler himself to tears. I ignored the urged to tear up. "You know I should just give up on boys altogether. First, a criminal. And now a vampire and a wolfman."

"Criminal?"

"Long story." I waved off the subject/ Now was definitely not the time for that.

"Are you mad?"

"Mad?" I raised my eyebrows. _Confused. Frightened. Distressed. Yes. But not mad. Not really._

"No." I shook my head, and put my face in my hands, " It's just. It's a lot." And it was. The craziness of the past twenty-four hours weighed in on me, and I was starting to suffocate. The air felt thin coming into my lungs, too thin, and too hot. My head was flying high above my body, and everything in my world was blurred around the edges like a kindergarten watercolor.

"Tell me about it." His words were drenched with disdain

"Were you ever going to tell me? Because I thought…well that you know…you kinda…"

I didn't need to finish the statement. Jacob took two large steps and he was in front of me. I flinched a little. He slowly lowered himself to my level not touching me. "I do Muse. I like you lot."

"But you're a werewolf." It was a statement made to myself. I let it sink in for a moment. "And Edward's a vampire." Another moment to take it in. "And Carmen was…." I trailed off. I stared into Jake's face. "She tried to kill me. And then there's Zach and his entire family. They were helpless." I began to break down, feeling tears mull up in my eyes. "No matter what, I'll never get my friend back. How did this happen?" I sobbed, "How can I trust you or Edward or any of you. You're monsters."

"Do I look like a monster Muse?"

"Not now," I cried through the forming tears, "But." I paused and looked at him helplessly. "My best friend is gone. Jacob…Carmen's dead." The realization hit me hard_. My best friend was dead. I would never see her again. And Zach was dead too and his family. _I collapsed and Jacob caught me in his arms. I cried like that for awhile until I had no more strength left in me, and then Jacob moved me to the bed where I fell asleep. I didn't know how long I stayed in bed, drifting in out of consciousness. Every so often Dean would bring me up some food and water that I barely touched. He also made sure I kept taking my pain pills, partly to keep the pain in check and partly to help me rest. Anytime I was awake and aware I cried endlessly. Finally after what felt like weeks, I felt like I could be finished with the crying and the sleeping. I opened my eyes. It was black outside my bedroom window. My radio's time and date read nine o'clock on September 22nd.

_3 days. I've been in bed, crying for 3 days._

Prying myself out from under my warm comforter, I ambled down the hallway to the bathroom. I studied myself in the mirror, my eyes were red and engulfed in dark circles from crying so much, and my hair was a tangled, frizzy mess. I leaned over and turned on the hot water in the shower. Slipping out of my pajamas, which reeked of sweat and tears, I climbed in under the shower head. I cleaned off and then let the water run over me until hot turned to warm and warm turned to cool. After drying off, I wrapped the towel around me and walked back to my room. I grabbed a fresh pair of black sweatpants, a sports bra, and a pink ribbed tank top. Then I threw my wet hair up into a ponytail. Sitting back down on my bed, my eyes searched the room and eventually focused in on a picture from two summers ago when James, Carmen, and I had all taken a day off to go to Valley Fair. It was a candid shot of us laughing in front of one of the largest roller coaster at the park. We all looked so happy and carefree. But WE would never be happy together again. WE would never be TOGETHER again. I probably could have cried more, but it would have done no good. Instead, I padded down the stairs to the living room. Jacob and Dean were there, playing video games. When I entered, they quickly paused whatever racing game it was.

"Hey sis," Dean greeted me timidly, "How ya feelin'?"

"Tired." I slumped down onto the couch next to Dean. He threw his arm around me.

"You hungry or anything?:"

I shrugged. "I guess."

"Waddya in the mood for?"

I leaned into Dean. "Macaroni and cheese?"

"Perfect." Jacob chimed in, avoiding eye contact with me. "I can actually make that." He immediately headed into the kitchen.

Dean kissed the top of my head. "I'm so sorry Muse. I wish I could take the pain away."

"I know," I sighed. _I wish. _Unfortunately, Dean had no idea how bizarre and terrifying all this really was. I stared at the paused game on the television screen and listened to the sounds of Jacob assembling supper in the kitchen. I didn't feel like putting on a pity party at the moment or freaking out about vampires and werewolves and murders, so I changed the subject completely. "You know Jacob likes me right? Really likes me?" I tilted my head up to look at what Dean's reaction would be.

He smiled slightly and chuckled. "I kinda figured that one out already. He asks about you a lot at the shop. He even came to check in on you every day for the last few days. He insisted on going upstairs to make sure you were okay."

"Oh?" I smiled a little too. _Was it wrong to smile at a time like this? _I remembered when my parents had died, it felt wrong to smile for weeks after that, maybe even months.

"It's okay," Dean winked. "He's a good I trust him more than any of the guys at your high school."

"'I didn't think you'd be so cool about it." I pecked him on the cheek then sank back against his arm once more, fully appreciating the fact that at least I still had Dean…and James. "Oh James!" I sat up so fast that the top of my head knocked against Dean's chin.

"Ow!" He rubbed his jaw. "Careful Muse!"

"I have to call James." I rushed upstairs, but my phone wasn't there. Where was it? After a minute or so of searching, I gave up and opted for the landline in Dean's room. I dialed his number, one of the few phone numbers I still knew by heart.

"Muse?" James answered.

"Yeah it's me."

"I was hoping you would call me sometime soon. I tried to stop by and see you yesterday but you were sleeping."

"Yeah," I droned, "All I've really done is cry and sleep the last few days."

"I haven't really gone out much either." I could hear the ache in his voice and imagined the pained look his face surely held.

"How you doin' Muse?"

"I'll survive." It was the best answer I could give under the circumstances. Suddenly, Dean was at the door. He was holding a bowl of macaroni.

"Hey James. I gotta go. I haven't eaten in…well I'm not sure how long. So I'll talk to you later 'kay?"

"Alright. Will you be at school tomorrow?" There was no optimism or expectation in the question. It was as serious a question as any other.

"I don't know. I'll text you. Hey James, Love you."

"Love you too."

I let James hang up and waited until the call beeped close before getting up off the bed. I grabbed the bowl from Dean then followed him downstairs. Jacob had taken off as soon as the macaroni was done, according to Dean. He and I sat at the table eating supper. It was normal. But the normal only lasted until Dean went to bed.

I waited about twenty minutes until I was sure that Dean would be asleep then went to open my window. My eyes searched the night, I was positive that Jacob hadn't actually left. Sure enough, there he was leaning against a tree and watching my window. The moment I caught his eye, he ran across the yard and scaled the side of the house with ease before climbing in through my open window. As soon as he was inside, all of my pretenses failed. I flew at him, and he engulfed me in his arms. I should have been terrified. _Shouldn't I? _But he just seemed so normal. Well, as normal as a six foot seven inch, well-built, beautiful, incredibly warm (and I mean that physically) Native American could be.

"I have to be honest," his chest moved under me as he laughed, "I wasn't expecting this."

"Me neither." I looked up at him. He was smiling so wholeheartedly it made me hurt a little to know that I couldn't be that happy in return. I heaved a big sigh and released myself from his arms. I sat down on my bed and leaned against the wall. "Okay. I'm all cried out, so I think I'm ready for some more answers."

His smiled faded. "You sure?"

"Yes." I gestured for him to sit beside me on the bed. Instead, he pulled over the chair from my desk and sat in it. I kept the disappointment I felt in that rejection from showing.

Jacob cocked his head. "Where should I start?"

"Hmmm…" I thought about what I already knew and what I wanted to ask first. "You said that you aren't a werewolf. So then what are you?"

"My tribe, the Quiletes, calls us spirit wolves. When vampires are around my tribe, some of the younger men in the tribe, who are descendants of the original spirit wolf, start to change into, well, something like me. Big and strong as men and we can change into wolves."

What he was saying actually made sense. ..if you believed it. And I was starting to. "How many of you are there?"

Jacob leaned back in his seat and started counting on his finger. "There's four in my pack: me, Seth, Quil, and Embry. And there are six in the pack still back on the La Push reservation in Washington: Sam, Paul, Brady, Collin, and Sam's boys Jared and Lee"

I grabbed a pillow to hug in my arms as I thought about my next question. "Why did you come here?"

Jacob paused for a moment then blew out in a long, slow breath. "That's a tough one." He closed his eyes. "A lot of bad memories."

My face contorted in pain as I watched the hurt wash over Jacob's face. "You don't have to if you-"

"No," he interrupted. "I can tell you about it." Within a few seconds he had opened his eyes and composed himself. "There was a girl…

_Of course there was. There's always a girl._

"Her name was Bella."

"You mean Edward's wife?" I ventured, now thinking that the information I'd discovered last Friday was actually true.

"Yes, but who told you that?" Jacob's words were acidic.

I averted my eyes, as a slight twinge of guilt stung me. "I heard Rosalie say the name that night I saw you two arguing, and I sort of did some research online."

"Geesh." he spat, "They were supposed to erase any records that tied Edward to Bella."

I cringed, though I knew his animosity wasn't actually directed at me. "Sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Not your fault." He shook his head again. "Anyway, Bella fell for Edward. She was my best friend in this entire world. Despite my objections, she married Edward. They had a baby, and then Edward turned Bella into a vampire."

I raised my eyebrows, bewildered. _Vampires could have babies? I'd have to ask more about that later._

"There's a lot more to the story, but most of it isn't that important. Not to you. Not to anybody anymore." Well, that was a lie. Obviously it mattered to him. I sat there in silence as Jacob seemed lost in his thoughts. I watched his face go through a parade of emotions: longing, grief, anger and a couple of others I couldn't name. After a little longer, Jacob stood up and joined me on the bed. "I loved Bella's daughter Renesmee to the moon and back." I noticed a few tears fall on the section of the floor where Jacob was staring. I gently placed my hand on his back, and without my prompting he continued, "There was some confusion with how Renesmee had come to be. The royal family of vampires, I guess they're the ones who make sure other vampires follow the rules, they came to fix the problem. They came to kill Renesmee and Bella and all the Cullens. But we, the Cullens and a bunch of other vampires and my pack and Sam's pack, we fought the royal family and their guard. We didn't really lose, but we didn't win either. There were casualties on both sides." He paused.

I finished for him in a whisper. "And Bella and Renesmee were two of them." He nodded and I took one of his hands, rubbing it gently until he was ready to continue. Within seconds, Jacob leaned back and turned to face me. "But that was twenty years ago. And it doesn't hurt so much anymore, especially when I'm around you."

I couldn't help but smile when he said that. Out of nowhere an ice, cold breeze from the partially-open window blew over me, and I shivered. Jacob pulled me in closer to him, and he was like my own personal heater. "So what else?" I ventured, "What can you tell me about being a werewolf?" _Werewolf…the word should have scared me. Jacob should have scared me, but I'd spent my entire teenage life reading about the supernatural and watching shows and movies full of mythical creatures. Could it be so difficult to believe that some of those myths were true._

"Hmmm…" He combed a finger lightly through my hair. My eyes fluttered closed at how nice it felt. "Well, we tend to have a harder time controlling ourselves when we're angry. If we get too angry, we will change without meaning too."

I nodded , and he continued, "And when we're in wolf form we can hear everything everybody in the pack is thinking."

"Really?" It wasn't a question, more a statement of astonishment. "That's…" I was lost for words as I thought about it some more.

"Annoying," he finished for me.

I laughed. "I suppose that would be true."

"We're the only thing that can kill a vampire besides another vampire."

And that, ultimately, was the answer to one of my earlier questions. "That's why you followed the Cullen's because you wanted to be here to keep them from changing anymore people. And you're the only thing that can do so since you're the only thing that could threaten them."

"Yes," He paused from stroking my hair and shrugged his shoulders in agreement.

"Anything else?"

"There is one more thing, but I think another time." I turned towards his face and narrowed my eyes searching to see if he was trying to hide something that I needed to know, something he should have been telling me but wasn't. And I came up empty. Without warning, I yawned, covering my mouth with my hand and glanced at the clock. It was already one in the morning. Jacob checked the time as well. "You're tired. It's late."

"I shouldn't be," I argued with myself, "I mean I've been in bed for three days…well technically four days."

Jacob laughed, "Yeah. But it was still a hard four days."

"Will you stay until I fall asleep?" I leaned into him again, grateful for his elevated body temperature.

"Of course I will." And he placed his index finger under my chin, tilting my head up to his. I closed my eyes and his lips touched mine gently. There was no tongue, no open mouth, no passion, just peace. It was a soft, gentle kiss. It ended, and I smiled. When I opened my eyes, I found Jacob with a look that mirrored mine. Jacob slid up to the head of the bed and pulled me down so my head rested right next to his legs. He started running his fingers through my hair again, and that was how fell asleep…with a werewolf in my bed.


	10. Chapter 10: Gifted

**So I apologize for not posting again sooner. My laptop decided to corrupt the file in which Chapter 10 was saved twice! So I had to start over. But I finally got it done. We're gonna find out something interesting about Muse…enjoy :)**

Chapter 10- Gifted

A knock at the door woke me the following morning.

"Muse?" Dean called lightly through the door. I blinked my eyes open. The room around me was still dark and outside my window the grey sky dribbled down rain. Dean knocked once more lightly before cracking open the door. "Muse?" Then smiled when he saw me. "You're up."

"Sorta," I mumbled in a croaky morning voice.

He pushed the door open all the way, letting soft fluorescent light spill across the floor and across the bottom half of my bed. Thankfully, his elbow only rested beside my light switch without actually flipping it on. "You think you're up for school yet?"

I thought about what that would entail, especially after everything I now knew. My classmates would undoubtedly hound me about what I remembered from Friday night. Teachers would look upon me with pity. Everybody at school friend, foe, or other would whisper behind my back. And worst of all, I would have to lie to everyone, even to James. "Not yet," I pleaded, grabbing a large pink pillow and shoving it over my entire face. "Can I wait and go back next week?" The question came out muffled; nonetheless, Dean understood me. I peeked out with one eye for his answer.

He gave me a soothing smile. "I think that will be okay. Dr. Cullen did tell me you should rest as much as possible while you're healing. And I know school right now would be a lot of stress."

"Yeah," I agreed faintly.

"But Muse…" Dean got a pained look on his face. "The police are going to stop by tonight to speak with you."

I cringed.

"I'm sorry." The pain on his face turned to bitterness. "They tried to come question you this weekend, but you were so out of it that they couldn't get anything from you. I kinda wanted to punch them for even trying in your state."

I tried to think back to this weekend, of what I could remember. I certainly couldn't remember ever having any visitors, much less the police. Then again, most of the time came back to me as lapses of blackness and still-frames of my room blurred by the constant veil of tears. Dean walked over to me in his dark green jumpsuit with his name embroidered on the chest and bent to give me a kiss on the forehead. He gently ran his fingers over one of the stitched up gashes on my cheek. "I'll call the school. You take it easy."

I nodded. Dean glanced over at my clock. "Welp, gotta go. Love ya sis."

"Love you too," I called out as he dashed out my door. As soon as I heard his truck start up and take off down our driveway, I threw back my covers and got out of bed. I dropped to my knees and searched under my bed then moved over and opened the doors to my minuscule closet. _What am I doing?_ It's not like Jacob could have possibly fit in either of those places. I stepped to the middle of the room and stood there shaking my head at the ridiculousness of my actions before heading down the hall to take a shower. The bathroom filled up with steam from the shower, which I let run so hot that it almost burnt my skin; and after twenty minutes, the water turned cold. Afterwards, wrapped in a towel with my skin pink from the hot shower, I returned to my room….

"What the eff?! Edward?!"

There was Edward Cullen leaning against the window sill in MY room. His eyes widened in shock, and I quickly grabbed the towel around me making sure it was secure.

"Oh!" he gasped and fled from the room so fast that I couldn't even tell which exit he took. For the moment I didn't care. I made sure both my door and the window were locked, all the while my hair dripping and leaving dark spots on the carpet.

I quickly finished drying off and pressed my hair with the towel, so it was just damp. I threw on a black camisole, a plain forest green v-neck baby doll tee, a pair of blue jeans, and some chunky multi-colored Vans. Curious to find out why Edward had shown up in my room uninvited, I rushed through my makeup as much as I could, and threw my hair up into a quick messy bun. I paused for a moment to study myself. I hadn't truly taken the time to look in a mirror yet. I had stitches in two places on my face, on my forehead near the hairline and my left cheek, I had purple bruising in different places on my arms and neck. I lifted my shirt to find a few more visible bruises around the bandages wrapped around my torso. They were sore and the broken ribs still made breathing a chore. And in the shower I'd found a couple more sets of stitches and lots of bruises on my legs. I made my way downstairs and found Edward sitting on the worn, maroon couch . He looked up at me as I entered the room. I couldn't help but feel nervous about being alone with Edward who, by now, I had no choice but to believe was a vampire. I stopped in the doorway, not sure if I should go any closer.

"Don't worry," Edward muttered shamefully, "Jacob is outside, nearby, making sure I don't hurt you." He glared out the window. "Although I would never hurt you Muse."

I'm not sure if a werewolf should have made me feel safer, but he did. Edward's eyes hardened. "A werewolf is much more likely to hurt you than I am."

"Whatever," I sighed, letting the comment roll on by, and decided it was safe enough for me to sit down in the brown recliner. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you would have questions. Don't you?"

To be honest, I'd been so out of it since Friday that I hadn't had a chance to think much at all about what Edward and his family had told me. Edward leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands folded, waiting for me to speak.

"I'm not sure…yeah…just…," my thoughts moved slower than my words, "where do I start?" I brought my knees up to my chin and wrapped my arms around my legs. "So you're a vampire.…well, tell me about vampires. I only know what I've read in books and seen in movies, but I can imagine that a lot of it isn't true."

_Though five days ago I'd have sworn the existence of vampires and werewolves wasn't true._

Edward smiled then answered, "Yes. A lot of what you have heard is wrong. We're very strong, much stronger than anyone can imagine. Like snap a tree in half with a gentle finger tap strong. We're fast too. We can outrun any animal and most vehicles as well…

_He kinda made it sound like he was superman or something._

…We do drink blood. Most vampires drink human blood, but as Carlisle told you, my family and I choose to drink animal blood instead. We don't sleep or get tired. And when we go out into the sun, the light bounces off us like there are millions of diamonds embedded in our skin."

When he said that my face broke out into a humorous grin. "Hold up…you what!? You SPARKLE in the sun?"

He nodded, his eyes more serious than my seventy year-old history teacher during the mid-term exam.

I laughed, "Vampires sparkle? That's so….stupid." From outside I heard an animal howling in broken pitches.

_Undoubtedly Jacob agreeing...maybe laughing._

Edward's eyebrows pulled together, and he frowned. "Stupid?"

"I mean c'mon? Where's the danger in that? What does it accomplish?"

He folded his arms across his chest, challenging me back, "It's supposed to make us much more appealing to our prey."

My chuckles cut off abruptly. "Oh." I thought for a second. "I guess that kinda makes sense. But it's still kinda funny." I grinned again, and in return his face loosened until he was almost smiling too. Much of what he had told me answered other questions that I had previously wanted answered, even before I knew what he was. Like why his family went camping so much? Or how he always seemed to be able to beat me to class? Why he was so cold all the time? Why he hadn't eaten more than a bite or two of pizza on our date? And why he reminded me of my ex-boyfriend?

I frowned as the realization clicked in my head. "Nathan," the name escaped my lips in a whisper. _He was like Edward…he was a vampire._

Edward nodded eagerly as he watched me. I drifted from my thoughts. He was looking at me as though he knew what I'd just been thinking, as though he knew I'd been thinking about Nathan being a vampire.

"I can and I do."

I gave him my best your-crazy-dude look. "You can and do what?"

"Sorry, I can tell what you're thinking. And I do know about Nathan because I've heard you think about him before…" I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but he gently placed his finger up to deter me from speaking "…That's one other thing about vampires. We all bring something from our human lives with us, some piece of our personality or a skill which is magnified in our new life as a vampire. For some vampires, those skills are very special. They're kind of like superpowers you might say"

"You can read minds?" I was shamelessly intrigued. My feet fell to the floor and I leaned forward.

"Yes, as a vampire I can read my minds. It is my 'gift'."

"So just now, you knew I was thinking about Nathan?" My eyes widened with interest.

"Yes. And before, when you thought about him during one of our conversations at school, I saw him. I could tell that he was a vampire."

I blinked, unsure how to handle this new piece of information: that Nathan had been a vampire. Plus, now I felt like I would have to be careful with what I thought about around Edward. I redirected my attention back to the actual conversation. "What about your family? Do any of them have superpowers?"

He nodded. "Jasper can feel the emotions of everyone nearby and can manipulate their emotions as well. Alice can see the future but it's tricky because the futures she sees can change if someone changes their mind about a decision which directly affects that future."

_That actually made sense and it was really cool._

I had one more question for Edward, but I wasn't sure how to start. How did you ask someone about their deceased spouse. I was curious as to whether or not she'd had gift. Edward's breath hitched, and his face froze in shock and pain. "You know about Bella." I nodded. "Stupid mutt," he grumbled to himself out loud, "always crossing lines he shouldn't."

"Edward," I whispered while reaching out and laying my right hand on his icy folded hands. He stopped his rant. "I found out about Bella on my own. I'd heard Rosalie say the name, and I was curious. I found a wedding announcement online…an old wedding announcement."

Edward's eyes grew. "You found an article with me and Bella online still."

"Yes." I tried not to look guilty, but I was sure I had failed miserably. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine Muse…not your fault," he assured me gently, "I just thought that all records of that past had been removed."

I nodded understandingly._ I won't bring her up again. It must be painful. I know what it's like to lose a loved one. Subject closed._

"Thank you," Edward breathed. His breath was sweet, like a candy cane or a peppermint patty.

_That was cool. I just spoke to Edward with my mind._

Edward grinned in amusement.

It would be difficult though to monitor my thoughts anytime I was around Edward. It was sort of an invasion of privacy.

"I know," he frowned now, "The whole mind-reading thing can get annoying. It definitely takes some getting used to?"

_Yeah but did I really want to get used to it?_

"Do you want to?" He asked the question. His thick, dark, perfect eyebrows creased with the sincerity of his question.

"I don't think I have choice."

"Of course you do.."

"No," I shook my head slowly, "I know too much. Plus, it's far to enthralling. And…" I glanced out the window.

"Jacob," Edward heard the name in my head, "You love Jacob." Edward sounded disappointed and appalled.

"Love is a strong word. But there's something there."

Edward rose from the couch gracefully and held out his hand. "Alright then, if you're involved, then we'd better get going."

"Going?" I stared at his extended palm. "Going where?"

"My house."

I hesitated for a second but then accepted his hand. _After all, he is my friend right?_

"I hope I'm still your friend." He caught my eyes with his. And for a moment I was drawn in. Those eyes were dazzling. The irises were rings of rich gold, and the dark rings around his eyes only made the colors stand out even more. Eventually, Edward looked away and I could breath again.

_It would be so easy for a girl to fall for him..with those eyes, that face, that body, his words…he was in many ways, a perfect being. Crap! Why did I just think that._

Edward laughed and led me out the door, grabbing my jacket on the way. He assisted me in sliding it on, so that I didn't have to move so much in the process. I groaned a bit from the pain of bending over as I slid into black leather seat on the passenger side of his BMW.

Edward eyed me with apprehension. I waved away his silent concerns. "I'm fine. Let's go."

The drive to the Cullen's house only took about two minutes, though it was normally probably a five or six minute drive. I'd only glanced at the speedometer once and decided I would never ever do that again. It was really only scary to be driving 120 miles an hour if you knew you were driving 120 miles an hour.

When we arrived, Jacob and three other boys, all dressed in jeans and black t-shirts, were standing together on the porch of the Cullen's home. Jacob ran over and was at my door by the time I'd unbuckled and opened the door. He helped me out; I winced at the sharp pain in my ribs as I stood up. _I would forget to take any pain pills. Maybe Carlisle has some here._

"Hey," Jacob greeted me with a concerned smile.

"Hi," I grinned back, trying my best to convey that he really didn't need to be concerned. I laced my fingers through his left hand and we started towards the house. Edward had obviously already gotten himself inside. We reached the porch and where the other very large, copper skinned boys stood. I knew Seth.

"Hey Muse!" Seth waved at me cheerfully. Seth was pretty average I guess, well in comparison with the other three boys. He wasn't too tall or short; he wasn't thin or large. He was muscular with cropped black hair. Looking at him, I'd guess he was a very fit sixteen-year-old. On the camping trip I'd found that he was extremely upbeat and sweet.

"Hi Seth."

But I couldn't remember the other boys' names. _One started wit think?_

"Hi Muse, I'm Quil." The boy speaking offered his hand for me to shake. He was not quite as tall as Jacob, but definitely bigger. Of course, he was one big russet toned muscle from head to toe. His hair was ebony, and buzz-cut; and his eyes were a deep chocolate brown. His smile was genuine and spread across his whole face.

"And I'm Embry," the other boy introduced himself. I noticed that he was more slender than the other boys and not quite as tall, but that just made his muscles more distinctive. He also had brown eyes, and he wore his black hair cropped. He seemed a bit more reserved than Jacob and Quil, and I got the feeling he was a bit on edge here.

I shook each hand, and it was impossible not to blush in the presence of such good-looking men. "Hi. So you're Jake's pack huh?"

Quil and Seth chuckled while Embry just smiled and answered me, "That's us."

"Sweet!" I beamed at them. Before the conversation could get any further, the wind suddenly changed directions and we all took a direct hit from the rain. I ducked behind Jacob without thinking. That reaction sent all four boys into a fit of laughter; it was infectious. I continued to laugh as we all headed inside.

I hadn't really taken the time to actually look at the Cullen's house before. The room we entered into was a humongous living area with a couple of rectangular white couches, a few round red chairs, a huge flat screen television, some glass end tables and coffee table, a baby grand piano in the far left corner, and a pool table in far right corner. The walls were a soft gray, and the thick, plush carpet was midnight black. Eclectic paintings hung from the wall, and a vase full of deep red roses sat in the center of the coffee table. The room looked like it belonged in a home decorating magazine or something. Edward entered from the kitchen carrying something in a fist in his right hand, and a half-glass of water in his left. He opened his clenched hand and thrust it towards me along with the glass.

"Vicodin" he explained.

"Thanks." I took the pills and the water and swallowed them easily then handed the water glass back to him.

"You're welcome." He walked back into the kitchen, and two seconds later returned with the rest of his family.

Carlisle was the last in the room. He stood beside his wife, Esme, near the kitchen. "How are you feeling Muse?" Carlisle asked me.

I shrugged, "I hurt. But it's not unbearable."

"You should feel much better in another week or so." I smiled. I never imagined that a vampire could be a doctor, with all the blood, much less the kindest doctor I'd ever met.

Edward positioned himself on my right, while Jacob stood on my left. Both of their faces had turned serious. Then Carlisle spoke, addressing the entire room, "I wanted to get us all together to discuss the events of this past weekend. I'm assuming that everyone has heard the story in one way or another." The group nodded, myself included. I tensed anxiously hoping to learn something new. "Good then we are all on the same page. We don't know much and unfortunately, Alice can't see any future events which could provide us with answers."

"Since you wolves are around so much, I can't get any clear pictures." Alice rubbed her fingers on her temples, her face contorted in frustration. "It's so unnerving."

"Well we couldn't really fight fair if you could see every move we made beforehand could we?" Quil jibed playfully.

Obviously Rosalie didn't see the humor. A growl emanated from low in her throat and she hissed, "It will never be a fair fight with us you smelly mongrel! I could take you down with one hand blindfolded." Rosalie crouched slightly and flared her nostrils with Emmett in her wake. Even then, Rosalie was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women I'd ever met. Quil and Embry stepped forward and glared at Rosalie and Emmett. Beside me Jacob tensed.

_Are they seriously fighting about fighting?_

Edward snorted. He'd obviously heard what I was thinking. Everyone just stood around watching the scene unfold near the center of the room, the only thing dividing the parties was a couch. The maternal side of me wanted to go stand between them to halt the argument; however, the look on Rosalie's face assured me that she was ready to throw herself at the next thing in the room that moved. But I didn't want to see a fight either, so I shouted. "Everybody just calm down!" The words came out strong, a command meant for the entire group. _Though, I'm pretty sure I'd originally intended for that to come out as a request._ As soon as I got the words out, every eye in the room flashed to me. What was even more disturbing, though, was that each face held the same exact expression, a mixtures of awe and confusion.

It wasn't the first time I'd seen the look, at least not on Edward or Jacob.

"Amazing!" Carlisle spoke, examining with fascination. Much like I imagined he might examine a patient who had some rare condition.

"You weren't lying Edward," Jasper mumbled. He'd turned his eyes to Edward now. Edward looked back at Jasper, his eyes questioning, eyebrows raised slightly.

"No, I don't think it's like me," Jasper said to Edward, an answer to some earlier question maybe.

Most of the group had stopped staring at me now. They'd given Edward and Jasper their full attention instead.

"What?" I looked at Edward eagerly then Jacob, who was now eyeing Jasper. Jasper glanced over at me when I spoke, a mystified look on his face, and then turned his attention back to Edward.

"She doesn't realize it." Edward spoke not to me, but again to his brother. I'd guessed that he was answering a question in Jasper's head.

I stood there like a small unknowing child in a room full of grown adults with PhDs, clueless and frustrated. In the silence, I noticed the sound of a worsening storm outside. Behind Alice and Jasper was a large set of sliding glass doors. Rain came down in sheets and a bolt of lightning flashed across the entire sky. I counted off the seconds before the sound of thunder. _One-one-thousand. Two-one-thousand. Three-one-thousand._ The thunder sent a vibration through the house around us. Nobody had answered my question yet, which started to infuriate me. "Answer me," I demanded of Edward in particular.

"That right there," he answered, "That's what you do."

I slapped my hands over my eyes and clenched my teeth together. I hissed, "You aren't making sense. What do I do?"

"Muse," Jacob gently tugged on my shoulders so I now faced to the left, faced him. Jacobs voice was soothing. "Honey, when you give an order or a demand it's like…well…like some force pushes us to do whatever you say."

"Huh?" That didn't make sense. I pondered for a second. Jacob was saying that I could make others do what I said. That wasn't possible was it? _Then again, I am standing in a room of werewolves and vampires._ "You have to do what I say?" I scanned the others in the room. Edward, Quil, Embry, Seth, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Esme, and landed on Carlisle. It was he that chose to respond., "We don't have to. But we're inclined to. It seems to cause discomfort if we don't."

"Oh." I wasn't sure what to make of this. It was a lot to swallow. And then I wondered…_Shouldn't I have noticed this before?…if people always did what I say?_ Then again, I'd never been a very demanding person in general. I usually asked for anything I wanted or even needed, and then accepted the answer given to me whether I like it or not.

But I briefly conjured up a few times when I had put up a fight: The time my Dad wanted to keep me from going to my Freshman homecoming dance because I'd missed my curfew by two minutes. The time that Carmen had begged me to let her cheat off of one of my tests even though she knew that I would never condone the act. And the time I insisted that James should call in sick to work, so that he and Carmen and I could go to a huge concert featuring ten of our favorite bands in Minneapolis. The arguments had never lasted long, and by crazy happenstance, I'd always gotten my way.

"Muse?" Edward caught my attention now. "You see it don't you?"

"Maybe." I still wasn't completely sold on this theory.

"Enough of this," Rosalie cried out angrily, "What does it MATTER? Why is SHE even here?"

"One way or another she would have found out," Jacob snarked back as he pulled me closer to him protectively.

"And I'm pretty sure that recent events involve her somehow. Carlisle agrees," Edward said.

Rosalie sneered. "What makes you think she's got anything to do with this? Apart from her freaky gift?"

"Well, first, because it was HER best friend who was turned. Then, her best friend chose to lure HER to the house to kill her. And because she seems to have some kind of history with a vampire, one I don't recognize." All eyes turned back to me when Edward relayed this information.

"You've come across our kind before?" Alice asked me, stunned.

"Umm…well," I stammered, "I met a guy at summer camp a couple of summers ago. We sorta dated? Kinda. He reminded me of Edward, the way he looks I mean. And he was cold too. Except his eyes were different; they weren't gold. He tried to hurt me."

"Impossible," Rosalie huffed, "He could not have been a vampire. You'd never have survived an attack." I looked to Edward for an answer to that conundrum.

He did not fail me. "I'm pretty sure her 'ability' saved her. Anyway, the point is…I think there's just too much coincidence. She's involved, maybe even centric to the situation, I'm sure."

"Wait are you saying that Carmen might have been because of me? Am I in danger?," my voice cracked, "Dean and James? Any of my friends?"

"We don't know anything Muse," Alice replied. She gazed at my sympathetically. I watched Jasper fasten his arm around her.

"Well, we do know there's another new mystery vamp in town," Seth volunteered, he looked less than cheery about this fact.

But Embry looked absolutely livid as he spoke. "Unless one of you bloodsuckers is out making more Cullens to adopt."

Esme trembled. "We wouldn't!" Her words were sharp and stained with sorrow.

"You did once," Seth pointed out casually.

_They must be talking about Bella and Renesmee._

"And it was a mistake….all a mistake," Edward muttered, almost to himself, "It will never happened again."

On my left, Jacob breathed in deeply and shot a look of accusation at Edward then at all the Cullens before speaking, "All that is in the past." His voice was shaky. "Besides, the scent wasn't one I recognized; nor was it tainted with any of the Cullen's scents."

"Have you come across the scent since then?" Carlisle asked Jacob.

Jacob shook his head, "No. None of us have."

Carlisle thought for a moment, then turned toward Edward, "Then perhaps we were wrong. Perhaps Muse is not involved at all, and it was just a random attack."

"But why turn her?" Quil interjected, "Wouldn't some random attacker just kill and feed."

I shrank back into Jacob and he embraced me. It was a test on my nerves to hear them talking about Carmen that way. Edward gently placed a very chilly hand on my shoulder trying to comfort me.. "I don't know why," Edward admitted, "But we really don't have anything else, do we?"

"So what's the plan then?" Emmett asked.

Carlisle stepped to the center of the room, acting as the commander of the group at the moment. "Alice will just keep watching. She will try to focus on Muse and, probably Edward too, as much as possible. And the rest of us will just be on guard."

"We will take shifts running the town perimeter," Jacob affirmed. He still held me with one arm securely. "And, since you think that this may revolve around Muse, we'll make sure to keep close watch on her and her brother."

"And James," I added.

"Of course," Jacob nodded unsmiling.

"We will be happy to help with this as well," Carlisle offered. All of the Cullen's nodded in agreement except for Rosalie, who looked as though she'd just bitten into a lemon.

"Alright, we should go then." Jacob released me and motioned for the rest of the wolves to follow him. The filed out the door after Jake. I stared after them for a second, watching the enormous rectangular, white door click shut. _Now what?_

By the time, I turned back around, Edward and Alice were the only ones left standing in the room, and they were engaged in a low conversation near the glass doors. I moved my weight from my left foot to my right, only just now realizing that I'd probably spent the entire discussion that way. My left leg pounded, and my foot felt like it might be on fire from putting all my weight on it for so long. I didn't move from my current position until Edward and Alice finished talking. Edward crossed the black and white living room much faster than any normal person. The sight was breathtaking, literally. "Ready to go?"

"Sure." I turned to open the door. He was already there. Again, my breath caught, but I shook off the shocked feeling._That was going to take some getting used to._

"Hey Muse?" Alice called out to me. I twisted my head, so I could see her, "Could you try not spend so much time with the wolves? I can't get a clear picture around them."

"I'll try." Though I wasn't really sure how I was going to do that.

Edward guided me out the door and to his car. I endured the pain of sliding into the passenger seat and buckled myself in. Edward waited as I moved at human speed preparing for departure. Once, we'd made it out onto the old highway I could ask Edward, "Why can't Alice see the future around the werewolves?"

He looked over at me, his face was calm now, "We can't be completely sure. Carlisle thinks it's because of the number of chromosomes they have. The werewolves think it's due to the magic of their tribe. They believe that since they are protectors against vampires, they're protected from her gift. But that doesn't really make sense because I can hear their thoughts just fine."

"Interesting." And it was, really.

I let myself become mesmerized watching the drops of rain hit the window. As the wind and air rushed past the car the drops would crawl across the window leaving a trail behind. By the third drop I'd watched do this, my house came into focus outside. Edward parked the car, and I unbuckled myself.

"Thanks." I glanced over at him as I started to open the car door and stopped suddenly, "Oh hey Edward. Are you going back to school tomorrow?"

"Yes, I suppose we all need to get back."

"Would you mind getting my assignments for me? I'm gonna take the rest of the week off."

"Yes. That's probably for the best. You look awful."

"Awww. Thanks, that's sweet," I cooed sarcastically, batting my eyelashes.

Edward laughed, "You know what I mean. You're gorgeous, but you're also a little bruised and beaten."

I laughed too. "I know. Will I see you again before next Monday?"

And Edward's eyes brightened. It was only too obvious that he was surprised that I might actually be interested in seeing him again. "Sure. I do have to bring you your assignments."

"'Kay then. I'll see ya." I paused once more. _And Edward. Thanks for saving me_. I twisted to face him, and he was smiling. Finally, I stepped out of the car, and raced up to the shelter of the front porch. I watched Edward pull away before heading inside. With the storm outside, the dark, empty house allowed the morning's conversation to sink in. I turned on all the lights as I made my way upstairs. Even though I was starving, nothing sounded good right now. Inside my room, I stripped my soaking coat off and threw it in a corner then collapsed on the bed. I curled myself up on one edge and closed my eyes. As I began replaying the morning in my head again for a third time, I felt warmth behind me. Jacob. His body heat radiated through the black cotton shirt he'd been wearing and through both of mine. I breathed out as the warmth seeped through me all the way to my fingers and toes. The heat distracted me for a second, and boy did I want to be distracted. I gently turned myself over, trying to cause myself a little pain as possible.

I studied his face. It was rounder than than the other wolves. Like the others, he had a perfect color of russet skin. He had very strong features and large eyes that were a deep, twinkling brown. Although his body was hot, his face was handsome. Whatever look I was giving him obviously soothed any apprehensions he'd had before then because he gave a small smile that just barely touched his eyes. I countered with a small smile of my own then moved my face closer to his so that the tips of our noses touched. It was a signal, one that he obviously understood.

His lips drew closer until they met mine. Even his big, soft lips were on fire; they made mine tingle. The kiss was slow and sweet...another one...and another one.

Stepping it up, I threw my right leg over top his waist and gripped his left shoulder to pull myself closer. The kisses deepened, and I felt his hot breath quicken. After a little while, he gently flipped me so I lay out on top of him, without ever breaking our rhythm. I slid my tongue into his mouth to find his. As we kissed, I ran my hands over his enormous biceps and over his smooth, hard chest. I continued on up to his head, tangling my fingers in his thick hair still slightly damp from the rain. I felt him brush the tips of his fingers up and down my spine and along my sides, sending shivers all over me. I couldn't be sure how long it went on. It was the perfect distraction, the perfect moment, and it needed to go on forever. But alas, I felt something vibrate in one of Jacob's pockets. I broke away. Jacob groaned in annoyance and slid the phone out of his pocket. I rested my head against Jacob's chest, listening to the vibrations as he spoke.

"Hello?" he grumbled.

I heard someone talking in the phone too quick and quiet for me to understand anything.

"Oh yeah, I hadn't thought of that. That's a good idea," his voice lightened.

More on the other line.

"Of course he is," Jacob chuckled. Then halted, "Carlisle, I just thought of something. Carmen had been here at Muse's house only twenty minutes or so before Muse got to the house where she was attacked."

Silence. Then more voices I couldn't make out.

"'Kay. Thanks Carlisle."

He hung up. "What's up?" I asked as I leaned up to look at Jacob.

"Edward pointed out that there are days at school that he and his siblings can't be there to keep an eye out for you and James."

"When the sun is out."

Jake nodded. "So Seth volunteered to go back to high-school."

"Seth? Really?" I brightened at that idea. I liked Seth. And he looked so young; he'd have no problem pulling it off.

"He's excited at the prospect of all the cute girls." Jacob laughed again.

"I think I could introduce him to a few." I winked at Jacob and attempted to give him a quick peck on the lips. Except, he gripped the back my head and held me there so the kiss could last longer. When we separated, I sucked in a deep breath. Just then, my phone started playing the them to "Doctor Who" on my bedside table. I reached for it and opened the new text message; it was Dean.

_**How ya doin? Getting rest?**_

I typed back: _**I'm restin**_g. I didn't even get the chance to set my phone down before he texted me back.

_**Good. C U in a few hrs. Cops r comin by at 6.**_

"Ughh!" I groaned softly.

"What's wrong?" Jacob tensed up and started examining me up and down. He thought I'd groaned because I was in pain.

"I'm fine," I soothed him, "I just have to give a statement to the cops tonight. I have to lie. I hate lying."

"It's necessary."

"I know."

"Do you want me here?" he asked. I thought about it, but decided that would probably just make me nervous...a werewolf sitting a few feet from me while I lied and said that Jacob had dropped me off at the dance, that I'd gotten a call from Carmen who seemed like she was upset, that Edward had dropped me off at Zach's house, and the rest was up to me. I'd probably just say that I'd knocked but nobody answered. I went inside and when I saw the bodies I freaked and ran back outside only to be nearly run over. From there, I would claim that I'd blacked out. I'd call Edward quick to make sure that our stories lined up.

"No, I'll be fine."

"Actually that's probably best since I called in sick at the shop today. Dean might get suspicious. Granted...his suspicions would probably be way off but still..."

I nodded. "What about the other thing you said to Carlisle about" *pause* "how she was here before.".

"Oh that." Jacob frowned. "As far as I knew, it takes vampires two or three days to change."

"What did Carlisle say?"

"Not much. He said he'd look into it. He was definitely surprised." I lay my head against his chest again. I was having trouble fighting the effect of the Vicodin now. "Muse?" Jacob whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Nathan?.." he paused, "...you said he hurt you?"

"Yeah?"

"How? How did he hurt you?"

"He tried to rape me. He broke my heart and then tried to..." I couldn't get the words out. At least talking about it now seemed easier. For some reason, knowing that it was a vampire that did that, made the pain much more bearable.

"Does Dean know?" Jacob asked softly.

"No. And he doesn't need to. He would think that it was his fault somehow, and it wasn't."

"Yeah. I get that." The weather outside made it impossible for me to tell what time it was, but I didn't care. I just enjoyed this peace in my room with Jacob. "Muse?" he regained my attention again.

"Yeah?"

"I'll never hurt you," he promised.

I'll smiled to myself. I believed him.

Hours later I woke. The sun was low in the sky. I hadn't meant to fall asleep, but the pain meds had finally gotten the better of me. Jacob was gone, and in my hand I found a piece of paper, ripped from one of my notebooks. I sat up, unfolded it, and read:

**Muse,**

**Sorry I couldn't stay. I needed to go take a shift watching over things. Plus, Dean might not be all that happy with us if he found us in bed together...even with clothes on. *I laughed* I'll see you soon. And I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me Saturday night? Text me.**

**Jacob**

**P.S. My number is in your cell.**

I finished reading and nearly fell out of bed fumbling for my cell phone. I found Jacob's name in the list easily, then typed in my answer.

_**Absolutely yes!**_

I didn't expect a message back for awhile. I heard Dean's truck outside and at the same time, just a few seconds after I'd answered back, my phone vibrated. It was Jacob.

_**Lol. Great! **_

I smiled at the phone. The door slammed downstairs, and I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Dean! I'm going out with Jacob!"

**Okay everybody….so what did you think? I wanna hear your reviews. Also, I was thinking about making the next chapter (or at least some of it) from Jacob's point-of-view. What do you think? I want your opinions. ;)**


	11. Chapter 11: Love Again

**I know it's been a little while since I last posted; the holidays were very busy. I had fun writing part of this chapter in Jacob's POV, though it was quite a challenge. I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 11- Love Again

Jacob POV

It had been a very,very long time since I'd been happy at all, twenty years actually. I didn't think I'd survive the pain of losing Renesmee. Losing Bella was horrible too; but losing my imprint...that was,well,it was worse than what I imagined hell to be. My whole world fell apart; I felt like I'd been stomped into a million pieces and then burned alive. Sam said that the only reason I survived the loss was probably because Renesmee had only been around for a few months when she'd been killed. I'd never gotten a chance to feel for her the way Sam felt for Emily or Paul for Rachel. Somehow every day after it happened, I found something I needed to survive for. For months,that reason was to make sure that mind-reading bloodsucker didn't off himself. If I was going suffer,so would he. Then I needed to stick around for one of the members of my pack...Seth. He'd lost his father and his sister within a few months of one another. He was only fifteen,and he'd started getting into a lot of trouble. He was picking fights,getting drunk, and smoking. It took some work, but I knocked some sense into the kid. Finally, seven years ago,Dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's. That's when things really started to turn around for me; I had to stick around the reservation for awhile to get Dad the help he needed. I had to be his son again. I would never be exactly that person I was before, never completely whole, but I'd started to heal. Now, by some strange turn of fate, I was feeling things I never thought possible... because of a girl!

Muse was thin with some curves, still probably only a high A-cup. (And before you start judging, I grew up in house with two sisters. Case closed.) She had light skin and long,auburn hair. Her face was slightly round, and her eyes were a forest green with brown flecks. She was smart and sweet, but I'd definitely seen her ornery side. Of course she had issues,who didn't? And we had some stuff in common. She liked the outdoors and playing video games. But you know what was probably the coolest thing about Muse? I got to choose her. One drawback of imprinting was that you don't get a choice. Not that you care once it happens, but, if you don't imprint or if your imprint is taken away, you start to resent not getting to choose who you love.

Still there was one problem with this whole Muse situation: Once again,the girl I liked was in danger. Not normal danger. No. It had to be supernatural danger.

_I'm cursed. The Cullen's are cursed. Someone is cursed and I'm getting the backlash!_

Just then I pulled my bike into the Wells' driveway. I parked beside Dean's truck. I'd definitely gotten off lucky with Dean. I'd made a good impression, so he'd been pretty cool about it when I asked Muse out. Naturally, he'd threatened my life if I hurt her in anyway. He had no idea just how much he could trust me with her safety.

I knocked on the front door. Dean had informed me that it wasn't necessary to do this, but with a girl in the house, I didn't want to take my chances. If I accidentally walked in on something I shouldn't, I could very well put my manhood at stake. Muse was definitely not the type of girl who'd be shy about kicking some guy in the stones. Not to mention, I knew Muse and Dean were both usually packing.

Dean answered the door. "Hey man." He punched my arm. "Lookin' good."

I had stepped it up a bit: a pair of clean blue jeans, a short sleeved, black button down shirt with my black leather riding jacket. I'd even shelled out a few extra dollars for a new pair of red & black tennis shoes. Dean sat down on the couch. The game he'd been watching was muted. It looked like the Cowboys vs. the Steelers. Steelers were down by five. Before I could take a seat, Muse came skidding into the room. She was holding a pair of high-heeled boots in one hand and a pair of Chuck tennis in the other.

"Which ones?" she asked me.

I chuckled. "You probably better ditch the heels."

'Kay!" And she hurried back up the stairs.

I shook my head, still snickering as I sat down on the couch beside Dean. "You're sister's kinda crazy."

He smiled,"That she can be. I'm just glad to see her smiling. I really didn't know what Carmen's disappearance would do to her." I nodded. He continued,"It's so hard trying to be the responsible big brother and parent-figure in situations like that. Thanks for being here for her. You're really a good guy."

"You're such a sap Dean," I joked, laughing again.

"Shut up," he punched me again. I laughed harder.

"Ready!" Muse announced as she entered the room once again. She had on a pair of skinny jeans that hugged her legs and showed off her petite ass, which looked..._yeah!_ She was wearing a black undershirt with a purple shirt thingy over top that dipped down all way to where her belly button would be. She'd let her hair hang loose, tucked behind her ears, with some curl to it. And of course, she was wearing the purple & black high-top Chucks too.

"Well you two have fun," Dean said as I got up to carefully help Muse into her jacket. It tortured me every time I watched her cringe from her broken ribs or anytime she winced when something bumped one of the many bruises all over her. If I'd just gone into the house right away; if I'd been more tuned in and smelled the scent of that murderous monster inside, I could have kept her from getting hurt. *I won't make that mistake again* We waved to Dean and walked out into the late afternoon. The sky was overcast and the clouds held in some of the last bit of the early Fall warmth. The trees surrounding the Wells' house were all sporting different colors, some orange some red and some gold. Dead, fallen leaves littered the massive lawn. I was thankful for the nice weather. I didn't need it to be warm, but Muse would be more comfortable riding on the motorcycle in sixty degree weather. Her eyes lit up when she saw the bike.

"Yes!" I caught her cheering to herself. I got a smug grin on my face. I figured she would be excited about riding the motorcyle again.

"Here ya go." I handed her my helmet and she pressed it down onto her head. I was actually kind of surprised she didn't put up a fuss about her hair. "You're sitting up front this time," I told her and lifted her onto the seat, so she wouldn't have to strain any of her injuries.

"I'm driving?" she asked with a bit too much enthusiasm.

I snorted,"No way!" Her mouth fell into a pout, and I held up my hands in defense. "Just not tonight okay? Some other time. I promise."

She squealed and clapped. "Yay! Okay."

I swung myself onto the bike behind her. She was so small (and I was so big) that I had no problem driving the bike with her sandwiched between my arms and legs. It was much easier to ensure her safety with this seating arrangement. I kicked on the gas, and we took off. .

"So where are we going?" Mused yelled over the rushing air. We passed the 'Come See Us Again' sign for Jamison.

"It's a surprise," I answered her loudly. I looked down briefly to see her smiling as big as she could without actually parting her lips.

Twenty minutes later we pulled into the parking lot of a three story Arcade called The Colleseum in Bemidji. One of the employees at the video game store in Jamison had recommended it to me. The Colleseum had classic arcade games, racing games, dancing games, shooting games, and one of the floors even had a large area where you could create your own roller coaster and then ride it.

"Wow!" Muse cried out in excitement as I climbed off the bike. "Jake! This is amazing!"

At the door, I purchased us a hundred tokens. Before I could even get my receipt, Muse was tugging me away toward the first floor of games. She stopped when we'd reached clearing in the center of the room. "What do you want to play first?" I asked.

She scanned the room, her eyes lighting up as she spotted each different game console. She pointed to a Mortal Kombat machine. "That one." She won a game then I won one, and then she was pulling me over to an original Frogger machine. We played so many different games I couldn't keep count. She insisted that I never let her win; It was a good thing she was such a humble loser. We didn't really talk much while we were playing, mostly just friendly game banter. We'd get a chance to talk later at dinner; I was just enjoying watching Muse smiling and laughing as we played. Once we'd finished all the games she wanted to play on the first floor, we headed up to the second floor. The first game she towed me to was an original Dance Dance Revolution game. I told her to go ahead and I'd sit out.

"Why?" she asked.

"I don't really dance," I shrugged.

"You don't dance?" she raised one skeptical eyebrow.

I nodded.

"Alright then, but I bet you will dance with me eventually." She gave me a pompous grin.

"Good luck with that," I challenged. She laughed and shoved a couple of tokens in the machine. I watched with fascination as she moved in perfect rhythm with the music. She would curse herself anytime she missed a step but keep going determinently. She was about halfway through her second song when, out-of-nowhere, she froze She spun around searching the room behind me with fear scrawled all over her face. I was about to ask what was wrong when a strong,disgusting, sweet smell hit me.

_Vampire!_

"Stay here." I instructed Muse, her face now completely drained of color. I ran in the direction of the smell. It led down the stairs and around the edge of the first floor then trailed out the front door and into the parking lot. I wanted to phase and continue tracking but I was in the middle of a city, and leaving Muse by herself just wasn't an option. I pulled out my cell and dialed up Quil. After Leah had been killed, he'd become my second-in-command.

"Quil?"

"Dude,I just a cought a whiff of a strange vamp in Bemidji at The Coloseum.

"You and the other guys phase your asses. Have Seth stay back near Jamison to keep the borders there safe, and have him alert Edward or Carlisle. You and Embry run like bats-outta-hell to get here. Stay outside the city though, just run the perimeter and see if you can catch the scent."

"I'm getting Muse outta here,and then I'll meet up with you." I hung up and ran back inside. Muse was still standing in the same spot, though she'd gotten some color back. I saw her exhale in relief as I approached. I held out a hand for her, and she immediately jumped off the game platform to take it. Her hands were sweaty and cold.

"What's going on?" she whispered loudly as she ran beside me out into the cool night.

I caught some vamps scent," I growled the words.

"I figured that's what you were going to say."

"You freaked out back there for a second. what exactly did you see?" We arrived at my motorcycle. I swung muse onto seat and got on behind her.

"Nathan," she yelled over the sound of the bike engine as it roared to life. We raced out of the parking lot at an extremely illegal speed.

"Who's Nathan?" I asked, leaning into Muse's ear so she could hear me. I couldn't help but catch the wonderful scent of her hair and skin as I did so. It like honeycomb and Ivory soap.

"The vampire from camp I told you about."

I growled again._ The one that tried to rape and kill her._ I shifted gears and sped up even more. Muse gripped tighter around my hands. I couldn't tell whether I was more excited or enraged at having to hunt down another one of these beasts. Either way, I was going to find that damn leech, and I was going to tear him to shreds. Within ten minutes we were pulling into the Cullens driveway. Edward was waiting on the porch, thank goodness. I wasn't wrong when I had assumed he would expect me to bring Muse here.

"What happened?" he inquired as he approached us. He was still ten feet away, but I could hear him just fine.

"Muse saw Nathan. I caught his scent."

"Where?" Edward's eyes narrowed.

"Bemidji. I'm headed that direction now to join up with Quil and Embry."

Edward nodded. "Jasper and Emmett are off watching out for her brother and James."

I felt Muse relax a bit beside me.

"I'll keep her safe," Edward promised and reached out for Muse.

I held her back from him for a moment. "You better. I'm giving you a second chance here Edward. You will not get another one."

Muse turned to face me holding onto one of my hands. "Please be careful Jake." Worry creased her forehead. I squeezed her hand and smiled. It was a genuine smile. Chasing down and killing these evil bastards is what I was built for.

"Don't worry," I assured her. I let go of her hand and quickly bent forward to kiss her cheek. That wielded a little smirk from her. "Love ya babe!" I said just before running into the nearby trees. I checked behind me before phasing to see Muse standing there dumbfounded and Edward glaring in my direction. I chuckled to myself.

Maybe I should have picked a more romantic moment to tell her how I felt. But that just wasn't my style. I'd only ever told one other girl that I loved her like this. But unlike Bella, this felt much more real, much more intense. Not forced and unrequited. In fact, I'm fairly sure I was only ever attracted to Bella because she was going to be the mother of Renesmee. What I felt for Muse was different than anything I'd ever experienced. She gave me a reason to actually look forward to the future. She made me forget the anything bad in this world existed, and when we touched, everything inside of me caught fire. _Man I wanted her._

"_Seriously Jake! FOCUS,_" Embry scolded.

"_The guy's in love Embry man. I can relate_," Quil defended me.

_"Yeah we know Quil. Play by plays of you and Claire are pretty puke-worthy,"_ Seth teased.

"_You suck Seth,_" Quil spat.

"_Enough guys_," I cut in, "_Embry's right. Quil? Embry? did you catch that leech's disgusting sent?_"

"_Briefly_," Quil huffed in disappointment.

Embry explained,"_He was already long gone before we got here. Jake,you should have just phased when you smelled him earlier_."

"_Two problems there_," I pointed out,"_First, it would have taken too long for me to get to the edge of town and phase. He'd know I was tracking him right away. I'd been hoping that by not running after him right away, he'd have stuck around. Second, no way I was leaving Muse there to fend for herself."_

"_But Jake_," Seth argued, "_Can't she use that special trick of hers to keep herself safe?_"

_"No_," I answered as I approached the border of Bemidji, "_Sure, it's convenient. Defying her is painful, but it won't keep any creature from attacking or hurting her if they are determined enough. Edward told me that the night she was attacked she kept telling him to take her home. He had to fight tooth and nail through searing pain is hands and feet to keep going, but he did it_."

The guys were stunned into silence. "_So where's the trail_?"

Embry and Quil led me to the Northeast side of town. The three of us chased the scent miles and miles until it finally ended at the edge of the Lake Superior.

"_Damn!_" I snarled.

"_Well at least he didn't head back toward Jamison_," Embry thought.

"_Not yet. But he may not be alone_." I paced along the edge of the cold, muddy beach ."_Alright we'll head back. Quil, you join up with Seth. Embry go get some rest. You and I will take over for them tomorrow. Eventually he'll be back and we'll kill him and any other vermin he has with him."_

Muse POV

"Oh crap!" _Did he just say what I think he just said?_

"Yeah he did," Edward grumbled in irritation.

"That's what I thought." I was smiling now. There was no way Edward was going to spoil this moment for me.

"Come on let's get inside." Edward walked behind me across the driveway to the house. It was quiet and seemingly empty inside.

"Where is everybody?" I asked as I walked over to the couch and sat down. The remote was sitting on the arm of the couch, and I absentmindedly flipped on the television. It was on the Food Network. I laughed once, finding it slightly amusing that a house full of vampires would be watching a cooking channel. Edward sat down next to me. "Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie are hunting. They left this morning. Alice is upstairs trying to concentrate."

"Is there a problem with her vision thing? I mean other than the werewolves?"

"She's frustrated because she's not getting any specific visions involving danger."

"That's good isn't it?"

"Sure. It could be. but she's getting a lot of empty blackness. Not to mention, there's a vampire out there hunting people and changing them faster than is possible."

"Faster?"

"Yes. It should take someone three days to change not a few minutes."

"Oh." That new tidbit made me a little sick to my stomach.

"You know Alice didn't even see you getting attacked at the house until a few moments before?" Edward informed me.

I shook my head no. "I guess I'm not really sure how her visions work? Should she have?"

He nodded. "She should have seen because Jacob wasn't with you the whole time and another vampire was involved."

I stared at him perplexedly. He still really hadn't explained why specifically she should have seen the event from last week.

He leaned back against the arm of the couch. "She usually sees the futures of her family, close friends, and nearby vampires. Sometimes she can focus on others if she needs to, but it only works if she's specifically watching them."

"O-okay." I was beginning to understand. She should have seen the event because not only was I her friend, but there was a nearby vampire in the house. I turned to look at the television again. The chef on screen was preparing some really amazing looking pasta dish with Parmesan cheese and asparagus and mushrooms and chicken and...

_And jeez I'm hungry_

"What are you hungry for?" Edward asked. He'd been watching me drool over the cooking show.

The show had put me in the mood for Italian. "I think a pizza would be fine."

"Sure," he reached into his pocket for his cell phone. "What kind?"

"Ummm...beef, pepperoni, and mushroom please."

"Got it." He dialed a number and I heard him place the order. He even asked them to add a diet coke to the order. "It'll be about fifteen minutes," he told me as he hung up.

"How much?" I rummaged in my pocket for some cash. I found a twenty and tried to hand it to him. He pushed my hand away.

"Don't worry about it Muse. I've got it covered."

"Edward." I looked down at the cash in my hand and then back up at his face. He had smiled his slightly crooked rockstar smile again. "Are you sure?" I timidly tried to give him the money again.

He chuckled, "Put it away Muse. Really, it's nothing."

I sighed and stuffed the money back in my pocket. "Edward.." I tried to find the best words to remind him that I wasn't interested in any more than friendship with him. That first week or so there might have been a spark, but it had faded completely after that first kiss from Jacob.

Edward interrupted my thoughts, "Muse. I promise I'm not trying to weasel my way in between you and Jacob. I'm not sure what I felt right away, but I am perfectly happy with just being friends. And…" I saw him struggle with his thoughts, "Jacob definitely deserves to be happy, much more than I do."

I gazed at him sympathetically. "Edward, I don't know why you're so down on yourself, and I'm not gonna try to tell you this or that in an attempt to make you feel better. I don't know all the gritty details from you and Jake's pasts, and to be honest, I don't really want to know...not yet. But I will tell you this. I don't have much of a family. I lost one of my best friends, and I'm dealing with a lot of crazy crap right now. So I want you to be my friend, nothing more, nothing less. Deal?"

His face warmed again and that smile was back once more. "Deal."

I relaxed into the couch. "Boy, tonight's a mess."

"I think that's putting it lightly," he chuckled.

"Just call me the queen of understatements. " I grinned. I barely noticed Alice come down the steps. She looked defeated and collapsed onto the couch between Edward and I.

"No luck?" I asked.

"None," she sighed. The three of us sat in silence watching a different cooking show that had come on. After a few minutes, the doorbell rang. Edward answered it and paid the delivery boy. Edward must have given him a good tip because the guy looked like he was about ready to break out in song when he left. "Alice you wanna watch a movie with me?" I moved closer to her and prodded her with my elbow.

"Sure," she half-smiled.

"'Good."

The Cullens had a premium cable package with all of the good movie channels I found an older action/adventure film starring David Henrie, Robbie Amell, and William Moseley. Edward handed me my pizza box, and I starting inhaling my sustenance. Alice and I spent most of the movie debating which of the three male leads had the hottest butt or the best hair or the sexiest eyes. By the time the movie ended, she was in a much better mood. *Star Wars: Episode Eight* was on next and I started to doze off after about the first twenty minutes. I startled awake when I heard a door slam shut. Judging by the place in the movie, I'd only been asleep for about ten minutes or so. Jacob, who had made all the noise, walked over to me.

I yawned and stood up. Edward and Alice had moved over to the other couch, but neither of them bothered to get up when Jacob arrived. Jacob looked at Edward for a minute, and Edward nodded once. I was certain that Jacob had just 'told' Edward what had happened over the last few hours.

"Ja-" I started to say his name when a yawn caught me by surprise. "Sorry"

He just smiled. "Let's get you home before Dean starts to worry and never lets you go out with me again."

"Thanks for the pizza and movie," I told Alice and Edward and gave a small wave goodbye.

"Anytime" Alice's bell-like voice chimed. She was definitely more upbeat now. Edward was looking at Jacob again; he nodded at whatever it was Jacob had thought.

Jake placed a hand behind my back and led me out to the bike. he lifted me onto the seat again. Usually I would insist that I could climb on myself, but it was just too painful to right now. Nothing was said as he drove me home; it was draining trying to talk over the wind. When we pulled up in front of my house, I waited for Jacob to lift me off. I turn to him, not oblivious to the fact that Dean may have been watching us.

"So what happened?" I ask quietly.

"We didn't find him," he answered just as soft ,"He had a huge head start and the trail cut off at Lake Superior."

"Oh okay." I tried to plaster on a brave face.

"No worries," Jacob assured me,"We will find him. I will keep you safe."

I gave a bland smile. "I know."

He tucked a bit of my hair behind one ear. I sighed into his touch. "Jake?"

He gazed at me in response.

"Do you remember what you said to me earlier?"

"Well... I said a lot of things earlier to you," he joked," but yeah I remember what you're talking about."

"Did you mean it?" I held my arms across my chest just in case he wasn't going to get the answer I was hoping for. I would need something there to hold my heart in.

"Completely." He never let his gaze fall away. He uncrossed my arms for me and pulled me close to him. I saw his face nearing mine. I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him sooner. It was short and sweet and gave me the proof I needed to know that he was telling the truth. I was sure both of us wanted that kiss to go on longer; but with Dean undoubtedly spying on us, it would have gotten weird and uncomfortable

_Now I just have to decide whether I love him back. _

I hoped he wasn't expecting to hear it from me tonight. I quickly made my escape. "'Night," I said, gave him one last peck on the cheek, and ran up to the house.

**Up Next: Chapter 12- Halloween. If you leave me a comment, I will send you a private message with a small preview excerpt from the next chapter. ;)**


	12. Chapter 12: Halloween

**Okay…so here's Chapter 12. I should probably just apologize for not getting up my chapter's sooner. ;) But hey, I'm a mother of 2 and I rarely get time to myself to work on my story. Good news? I already have a really good head start on the next couple of chapters. Well, I hope you enjoy Chapter 12.**

Chapter 12- Halloween

_4 1/2 weeks later..._

"So are you dressing up for Halloween?" James asked me jamming a spoonful of chili into his mouth. He was smiling too. These past few weeks I hadn't spent any time with James outside of school; it was too hard to be around him and keep all these secrets hidden. Seeing his smile was about as rare as seeing a rose in winter. James had taken Carmen's disappearance really hard. Neither of us really ever wanted to talk about. All I could do was put on a brave face around him and act like I didn't know that Carmen was gone forever.

I spent most of my time outside of school and my extra-currics with Edward, Alice, Jacob, and Jacob's pack. Nothing had surfaced since that Saturday night at the arcade, and I was desperately trying to get back into a normal rhythm.

"I don't know." I swallowed my bite of cinnamon roll. "It would be sorta fun. Tyler is having a big Halloween party on his parent's farm right?"

James nodded, his mouth too full to speak.

"Sure. Why not. Did you have any costume ideas for yourself?"

"I'm thinking zombie surgeon."

"Classic." I smiled."What about me?"

"How about a witch?"

I scrunched my nose." Overdone."

"Princess?"

"No thank You. Do I look a five-year-old?"

"Vampire?"

I nearly choked on my last swallow of milk and shook my head. "I'll think of something." The bell rang, and I hurried to wipe off my hands and go dump my tray. I knew that it was ridiculous to be so disturbed, but James saying the word just shocked me. I walked at a faster pace than normal to my next class. I slid into my desk in government about halfway to the back.

Edward had beat me to class as usual. He had an amused smirk on his face. As soon as I was settled, he spoke. "Don't wanna be a vampire huh?"

I smiled a little at his amusement. "You're such an eavesdropper," I accused him.

He shrugged. "It really can't be helped."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll probably just be a gypsy again. I already have the costumes from sophomore year."

Before I'd finished my sentence, I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket.

"That'll be Alice," Edward chuckled. Sure enough it was a text from Edward's spunky older sister.

_**Don't worry, you won't have to recycle your gypsy costume. We will pick out a costume for you on Saturday morning.**_

I typed back.

_**K.**_

No argument from me. Alice would get her way no matter what. Alice responded a second later.

_**Meet me at 11 on Saturday.**_

There was really no need to ask where since there was only one costume shop in town.

The rest of the day went by as usual. We were just over a week away from opening night of _Guys & Dolls_, and every night from here on out was a full dress rehearsal. Luckily, some of the parents were providing sandwiches and chips or pizza for all rehearsals. Dean had donated five 24 packs of soda to the cause. We didn't finish until 9:30. By the time I got home, Dean lay half asleep sprawled across the couch. I hustled him up to bed where he promptly fell completely into dreamland. I ignored my room and quietly slipped downstairs and out the back door.

The window of the treehouse was lit with a soft orange glow. I made my way across the yard and climbed up the ladder. Of course, Jacob was waiting for me in the tiny, wooden box with a big smile on his face. I crawled over to him and planted a hello kiss on his wonderfully warm lips. After I'd said my hello, Jacob made a place for me so I could sit between his legs and lean against him. The tree house had become our favorite place to go when we wanted to be alone. Of course it was freezing, but with Jacob's arms wrapped around me it could have been a warm summer evening.

"So how do you feel about costume parties?" I asked Jacob.

"Hmmm... Never been to one."

"Well, there's this Halloween party on Saturday, and I was wondering if you would come with me? I know it would be the first time you met any of my friends,.. except James of course."

He chuckled. "Sounds like fun. Do we need to coordinate costumes or anything?"

"God No! We can save that for marriage." _Woah!...What?_

"Marriage?" Jacob said in surprise. I turned to see the interested smile on his face.

"I just... you know... I meant that's something married couples do. Not that we... you know..." I stopped there and hid my face in my hands.

Jake gradually pried my hands away and held them in his. He was still smiling. "Muse, I'm not your average boyfriend, I've been around awhile. The idea of marriage doesn't frighten me. Does it frighten you?"

"No," I admitted. I had no reason to be. Most of my friends' parents,my cousins, my aunts and uncles,were all still married and extremely happy. My parents had gotten married when Mom was only 19 and had still gotten all googly-eyed over one another even after twenty years of marriage they'd have been celebrating 22 years this December. "But we haven't been dating long," I explained,"so it seems a little early for that kind of Fruedian slip."

"Freudian slip?" Jake questioned, clearly not understanding the term.

"That's where you say something that you would never really intentionally say, but it slips out anyway because supposedly it is buried in your subconsious."

"You're so smart." He eyed me admirably.. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't going to tell him that most people knew what a Freudian slip was.

"So what are you going as?" he asked me. I settled back into his chest once more.

"No clue."

"Well what should I go as then?"

"Not a werewolf. Too ironic. What about a cowboy?"

"Cowboy?" I could hear the amusement in his voice. "I could pull that off. You know I'm gonna get so much crap from the pack when they see me dressed up like that."

I giggled "It'll be fun."

"Because I'll be with you," he agreed. I tilted my head up to find his lips and kissed him. The kiss sent a river of warmth coursing through me. Once it broke, Jacob kissed my forehead and leaned back against the wall.

"Besides, I think Seth is going too. He's had his eye on Chelsea," I said as an afterthought.

"Yeah I know." Jacob snickered.

"Has he been talking about her?"

"Not intentionally."

I had to think about that for a second, then I understood. "Oh... he's been thinking about her right? When he's a wolf?"

"Yup."

I smiled and asked, "Do you think about me a lot when you're a wolf."

"Too much. According to Embry." He laughed, and I joined in. Once we'd quited down, I sat there in silence listening to the wind outside. The calming sounds and Jacob's rhythmic breathing had me drifting off to sleep soon after. I just barely woke when Jake carried me upstairs and lay me in my bed.

Friday, the football team had a home game, so I had to perform in the halftime show. Dean, Shawn, Jacob, and Embry came to watch the game together. Jacob met me outside the band room once I'd finished performing and changed back into my jeans and Grant High football t-shirt and sweatshirt. We walked to the concession stand so I could get a hot chocolate and so he could buy three hot dogs, five candy bars, and a couple of bottled sodas.

I shook my head smiling in disbelief. "I still don't know how you can eat all that and look the way you do."

He grinned. "Wolf genes."

"No doubt."

"So what time is this thing tomorrow?" He asked as we walked back to the bleachers with our food.

"Starts at 6, so you can come by around then. He doesn't live far from me."

"Six o'clock. Got it." We took up seats next to Dean and the rest of the crew.

"Show's looking better," Dean complimented.

"Yeah?" I said, "It's hard to tell from my side."

"All your sides look good." Shawn winked.

I looked at him incredulously. "Seriously Shawn?" I pointed at Dean. "Brother." Then I pointed at Jacob. "Boyfriend."

"Just a joke," he lied.

"Yeah you are...a joke that is." I saw Shawn blush and Dean's amused face just before turning back to the game. As usual, our team lost. (Our school was not known for it's outstanding sports teams.) I drove myself home and went straight to bed, knowing tomorrow would be a very long day.

The next morning, I slept in until nine o'clock. Dean was already gone hunting when I got up. I hurried through breakfast and my chores then took a quick shower before heading uptown to the costume shop that had taken up temporary residence in our town since mid-September. I was just about to pull into a parking spot when my phone rang. It was Alice. "Muse get to my house. Now." And she hung up.

My heart dropped, and every inch of my body turned cold. _Nathan's back. _I started the jeep again and sped out of the lot headed for the Cullen's. Nobody came out to meet me when I reached the house, so I got out and ran as fast as I could up to the porch. I pounded on the door. Alice open the door beaming. "Ready?"

"Ready?" I stared at her completely abashed.

"Yeah. You've got a few costumes to try on."

"Huh?"

"You did still want me to help you find a costume right? I've already got mine." That's when I noticed what she was wearing. The dress she had on was a shimmery blue strapless thing that only went down to the middle of her thighs. The bottom and top edges were jagged, and protruding from her back hung two enormous see-through blue wings with glittered edges. Her eyes were plastered with sparkling blue eyeshadow and her shoes were strappy silver heels with blue ribbon criss crossed all the way up her calves finished off with a bow. _A pixie. Very fitting._

"Alice!" I yelled at her in exasperation.

She stepped back, startled by my outburst. "What?"

"You scared the crap out of me when you called. I thought you'd finally gotten a vision...a bad one."

"Oh." She now looked guilt stricken. "I'm sorry."

I let out a long breath of relief. "It's okay. Let's just forget about it and get to the costumes."

I followed her up to her room. It was on the smaller side. There were a couple of chairs, a desk, a computer, and a small shelf with some craft supplies. No bed since she didn't sleep. Alice pulled open a set of double doors at the far side of the room. I walked through them and whistled. Inside was her closet, and it was at least four times the size of the bedroom. There were racks and racks jam packed with clothes and shoes. At the very end sat three full length mirrors and vanity piled with makeup and jewelry.

"Holy moly Alice!"

She grinned proudly. "I know." Alice reached up into one of the racks pulling out a brightly colored dress. It was neon pink with bright blue green and yellow geometric shapes all over it. It had long sleeves that flared at the end. It was cut extremely short, but I noticed a pair of lighter pink leggings sticking out from the bottom. She handed me the costume, and I waited a moment for her to step out of the closet. Once she'd closed the door, I slipped out of my jeans and sweatshirt and stepped into the leggings and dress. There had been a matching headband wrapped around the hanger too. I tied the band around my hair.

"Ready!" I called out. Alice walked back in and grabbed a pair of tall yellow go go boots. I slid them on and zipped them up. Then I grabbed the chunky yellow plastic hoops from Alice's outstretched hands and inserted them into my ears. She spun me to face the mirrors. I stepped forward to get a better look. I looked awesome.

"I love it!" I exclaimed, twirling slowly to get the full effect.

"Don't make any decisions yet," Alice warned,"There are nine more to try on."

She had me try on a witch costume (which I had already nixed, but I humored Alice), a Catwoman costume (Full,skin-tight body suits only work on girls with perfect figures.), a saloon girl costume (It would have matched Jakes cowboy costume wonderfully...so no.), an eskimo costume that I didn't even bother trying on (because I was pretty sure it was more of a joke made by Alice than a serious costume choice), and five more costumes that were all too skimpy and revealing for my taste. Go-go girl it was!

My phone read one o'clock by the time we finished trying on the costumes. Then Alice convinced me to let her do my hair and makeup. She set my hair in giant hot curlers while getting to work on my makeup. I left the house at two o'clock with the most amazing shade of green eyeshadow, dark black lashes,bright pink lipstick, and full,wavy hair. With my costume packed away in a garment bag, I took off for home.

Dean would be gone until later in the evening, so I had the house to myself. I still had four hours before Jacob was coming by to pick me up. I couldn't lay down without ruining my hair and makeup, so I opted for catching up a little on my game of _Kingdom Hearts 5_. I was in the middle of the _Toy Story_ world, and I had to work on leveling up my favorite character Riku. I lost track of time, so it took me by surprise when I received a text from Jacob saying he was on his way. I gasped when I saw the time. _5:56_

At that moment I was eternally grateful that my hair and makeup we're already done. I raced up to my room to throw on my outfit. I was just tying the headband on when the doorbell rang. I finished and clomped down the stairs to answer the door. When I opened it, standing before me was the world's sexiest cowboy ever!

Jake was wearing a pair of black leather pants with a gun holster on his belt,a black and white cow skin vest,a black cowboy hat, and no shirt. (Yes, that's right girls, just his smooth, tan, bare chest.) Words were lost to me; all I could do was stare with a goofy grin on my face.

"You like it?" he asked looking down at himself.

"Uh...yeah...you look great!" _Hot,sexy, and edible were more the words._

Jacob grinned and studied my figure. "You look amazing!"

I did a little turn for him. "Thanks. I had help."

He held out a hand for me. "Ready?"

"Yup." I grabbed a jacket and crossed the doorway with him.

Jacob drove while I gave directions to Tyler's family farm. The barn where the party was being held had been decked out for Halloween. It was covered in cobwebs and rubber bats. Bales of hay and jack-o-lanterns were strategically placed about the base, and there were a couple of creepy looking scarecrows guarding the entrance. Many of my classmates heads turned as Jake and I entered the building. Who could blame them? It wasn't often that I brought a date to any social event, much less a gorgeous, giant native american.

I found a group of my friends near the food able. "Hey guys," I greeted them.

James was the first to speak. "Hey Muse. Nice costume."

"You too. Very realistic." He'd artfully ripped a pair of teal scrubs and slathered the outfit with fake blood. In his mouth, he'd fitted a set of rotten, misplaced teeth. And somehow he'd managed to use makeup to make it look like a few chunks of his neck and face were missing.

During James' and my exchange the rest of my friends just stood there open-mouthed staring at my date. "Everybody,this is Jacob Black."

Jacob in return tipped his hat and said "Howdy" in a fake Texas accent. That set all the girls giggling and everyone in the group at ease. Everyone except James that is. He still hadn't warmed up to the idea of me dating...anyone.

Brad, dressed as Captain America, stuck out his hand. "Hey man. I'm Brad." Jacob shook his hand. Aaron followed Brad's lead; he was dressed as a vampire. "Hey, I'm Aaron." Then Brianna, clad in a flapper dress and a bobbed wig waved. "I'm Brianna." Next Kayla, wearing skimpy nurse outfit introduced herself, "Kayla."

"Where's Chelsea?" I asked Brianna.

"She texted and said her date was running behind."

Jake and I gave each other a knowing look. Once the introductions were out of the way, the group broke off. Some of them headed for the dance floor while others headed for a few of the games that were set up. More and more students started to show up. Jake and I played a couple games of bean bag toss against Brad and Kayla. Eventually, Tyler, who had arrived dressed as Wolverine, and Brianna came over to drag us all out to the dance floor. As I started to follow my friends, I noticed Jacob was no longer beside me. I turned around and found him still standing in the same spot over by the game.

I walked back to him. "Aren't you coming?"

He cocked his head. "I don't dance remember."

I pouted,"Please."

He grinned and shook his head. "Nope."

"Fine," I turned and grinned evily," I'm sure that Aaron needs a dancing partner." And I started off toward the packed dance floor again. My wicked plan worked; Jacob overtook me.

"Fine," he relented and dragged me the rest of the way out onto the floor. Jacob moved behind me to the beat of the music like most of the guys were doing (to other girls that is). Most of the teenage boys I've met don't really dance. They sway a bit on the dance floor and watch us girls work it. (You know what I'm talking about.)

Three songs later a slow dance emerged. I spun to face Jacob. He was too tall for me to comfortably reach his neck, even in heels, so I wrapped my arms around his torso, and he hugged me close to him as we turned slowly in a circle. Twice during the dance, I looked up at Jacob and have him a quick peck on the lips.

I spotted Seth dancing with Chelsea. She was dressed as Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Seth had dressed as a ninja all in black. I smiled at them and waved. They waved back. Another slow dance came on, but Jake and I never got to enjoy that one. He stopped moving and looked directly over at Seth who had also halted. Jacob cocked his head toward the exit. I saw Seth whisper something in Chelsea's ear then go running outside. Jacob pulled out his phone as he pulled me off the dance floor, still keeping me plastered to his side. He didn't say anything into the phone but I heard a voice on the other end. I nervously searched the crowd. It only took me a few seconds to figure out what was going on. And suddenly I spotted him...Nathan casually walking across the floor toward us. He wasn't even in a costume. Jacob caught sight of him too and pulled me even closer.

Nathan and two other vamps stopped right in front of us. The one on Nathan's right was a tall male. His skin was a weird off-white, giving the impression he had possessed olive-toned skin when he was human. He had a large mouth and large eyes, as well as dark, thick eyelashes and thick dark-brown hair. His nose was very straight. However, his most disturbing feature was his teeth; they all looked a bit sharper than a normal human's, and his canines were longer and sharper than all the others. Before I'd actually met a real vampire, I'd have thought that was what vampire teeth should look like. The other strange vampire was a female. She was of medium height with a long slender face and skin as pale as the Cullen's. Her long,disheveled hair was a reddish-brown. Her teeth, on the other hand, looked normal.

"Hello Muse," Nathan greeted me coolly. His voice low and velvety.

Jacob let out a vicious growl from deep in his throat.

"Down boy," Nathan scolded him almost playfully,"No need to start anything here. We don't have plans to hurt anyone at this party. I just want to chat with Musette for a moment."

"I don't think so," Jake sneered. Nathan's face fell into a menacing scowl. "You misunderstand me mut. I don't PLAN on hurting anyone at the party; however, if you don't let me talk to Muse, I start the slaughter…beginning with zombie boy over there." I looked to where he'd gestured. James was standing by a big tub of water watching Aaron bob for apples.

"Fine," I agreed before Jake could argue, "I'll talk to you."

"Muse!" Jake warned. I ignored him. I couldn't let anymore of my friends get hurt. "But I get to bring a bodyguard," I said in the sternest tone I could muster up.

"Two bodyguards," came Edward's voice behind me. He stepped up on my left, opposite Jacob.

"Of course." Nathan nodded. "Follow me."

I grabbed Jacob's hand in my right and Edward's in my left. We made our way through the crowd, walking behind Nathan and his companions. They led us out to a nearby field. We trudged through the field for about ten minutes before halting at the edge of a huge clearing. In the center of the clearing were two more strange vampires : one male, one female. The male was shorter than the rest with a skin color similar to the first unknown male vamp. His shoulder-length, straight black hair had been slicked back; and his round face and large, pointed eyes indicated he was Asian. But the new female was the creepiest of them all, by far. Nathan and the other three vampires all looked like they had been turned sometime in their late teens or early twenties. This female looked as though she might have been about twelve or thirteen when she'd been bitten. (Assuming that's how you turn someone. I hadn't yet discovered the mechanics of it.) What made it so incredibly disturbing is she reminded me of a twelve-year-old version of myself: skinny, fair-skinned (only made more so as a vampire), long auburn hair, and a round face. Her eyes were red, like the rest; and the bitterness in them tore at my insides.

After a moment, I tore my eyes away from the young vampire which is when I noticed that she and the Asian vampire each had hold of a person. These two people were on their knees and their faces were hidden by brown,cloth bags. The only thing I was sure of was that they were men. _They're prisoners. Human prisoners._

Nathan and his two followers took up positions in the center of the clearing with the rest of the clan.

"What do you want?" I spat coldly.

"Why, I just wanted to say hello Muse and introduce you to my friends." Nathan motioned to the tall male. "This is Ryan." Then he pointed to the Asian vampire. "Draco." He placed a hand on the little girl. "This darling is Cally. And last-" He motioned to the other female "-this is Anya."

I said nothing, just stood there with a set, solemn face. I knew there was more coming. I felt Edward's hand tighten on mine,and I snuck a quick glance in his direction. He glanced back with a great deal of sympathy and rage coating his features. I focused my attention back on Nathan, now even more nervous thanks to Edward.

"What else?" I asked slowly and deliberately.

"And-" Nathan stepped between the two men on their knees,"-I wanted to make sure that you understood that nobody is safe from me." And he pulled the bags off the two men.

_Dean! Shawn!_

"No," I gasped. I tried to run out to them, but Edward and Jacob held me back. "Please don't-"

"Ah, ah, ah," Nathan cut in, wagging his finger at me, "None of that. No demands from you Muse."

I bit my lip and swallowed, then carefully chose my words. "Are you going to hurt them?"

Nathan answered, "Well, that's up to you now sweetheart."

"What do you want?" I asked.

Nathan moved a step toward me and looked directly into my eyes. "I just want your compliance. My master will be arriving soon and I want to have your word that you and your friends will not put up a fight."

I looked at Edward then at Jacob. Edwards face was like stone, frozen with hate, while Jacob shook his head directing me to say no. I gave Jacob an apologetic look. "He has Dean," I whispered and turned back to Nathan. "Fine. I agree."

"I want you to understand me my darling," Nathan said haughtily, "It only takes one second, one sliver of opportunity for me and my friends to nab a friend or two of yours Muse. You've already seen the firsthand consequences of what we can do with them. What was her name anyway?" The smile on his face could have outmatched the Joker's in "The Dark KnIght".

I wanted to vomit as he admitted to my best friend's murder. He was talking about Carmen. I looked back down at Dean. He was looking at me with fear-filled eyes while Shawn sent nervous looks back-and-forth between us and his assailants. Both the boys were gagged,and neither was making any attempt to speak.

"Her name Muse?" Nathan demanded sternly. I kept my eyes on Dean's and watched as a tear slid down his cheek. Suddenly, Nathan hissed,and he swiped at Dean's face leaving four large gashes across his cheek. "What was her name Muse?"

I whimpered,"Carmen. Her name was Carmen."

"You already knew that," Edward spat caustically

Nathan's smile returned. "Of course I did. I know a lot about Muse. For example, I know that you find this one over here-" he pointed at Shawn "-annoying. You don't even really like him."

"Yes. I do," I was starting to worry about where this was headed," I do like him and I agreed to your request. Just please, let them go." I pled.

"I said no demands Muse," he barked and looked over at Cally. I couldn't see his expression; whatever it was, it made her smile. And in one horrible instant, the young vampire grabbed ahold of Shawn's chin and yanked upward. I heard the loud crack of his neck, and he fell to the ground in a limp, lifeless heap. "No!" I screamed out. But my voice was drowned out by the roar of the two "men" beside me.

In a flash of movement Edward had the young vampire pinned to the ground. On my right, I caught a glimpse of an enormous reddish-brown wolf. I tried to move, but I couldn't. Carlisle had taken Edward's place and had hold of me while another wolf took up a position in front of me, blocking me from the fight. Others come out of the field from different sides, though I couldn't tell who. The whole scene was a blur of color mixed with growling and screaming

After a minute or so the blur moved. I caught sight of five figures taking off east into the thick stalks of corn. Five more shapes took off after them. Once the area was clear, Carlisle let my arm go, and I scrambled over to where Dean lay sprawled out on the ground. His face was coated in blood as well one of his legs. He had a number of deep red and black burns scattered over his body. Carlisle knelt down beside me."He needs a hospital. Now," Carlisle said, hoisting Dean off the ground into his arms, "Quil,will you please get Muse home safely ?"

"Can't I come with you?" I begged.

"I can run faster than I can drive," Carlisle explained,"He needs medical attention right away." He didn't wait for me to argue further and took off into the field.

I looked over at the huge chocolate-brown wolf who was apparently Quil. He cocked his shaggy head in the direction of the party, and I forged my way in that direction. As we neared the barn, Quil disappeared into some nearby corn stalks for a few seconds then reappeared in human form wearing a pair of black and yellow basketball shorts.

Quil walked me the rest of the way back to the party; the bizzare nature of the situation descended upon me. It had probably only been about forty-five minutes since I'd left the party. All my friends and classmates were still dancing and laughing, oblivious to the fact that there had been a fight nearby between REAL monsters. They were clueless about the murder of an innocent man that had taken place less than a mile away. Alice and Rosalie approached us. Alice opened her mouth to speak, but it snapped shut the moment she saw the defeated look on my face. Instead Rosalie confronted Quil. "Where are the others? Alice couldn't see anything out in the field."

"They're chasing after the vamps...the other vamps," he answered her while steering me toward Jacob's car. I lowered myself into the passenger seat,and Quil squeezed in behind the wheel. The keys were hanging in the ignition still. Alice and Rosalie watched us as we backed out of the parking spot, both looking a bit clueless. We drove in silence toward my house. _But Dean won't be there._

"Quil," I called for his attention. He looked over at me. "Can you take me to the hospital in Bena?"

He thought about my request for a moment then nodded. "Sure."

We passed my house and turned off onto Highway 2. When we arrived at the hospital, I jumped out of the car and took off toward the emergency entrance without waiting for Quil. I heard his door slam shut just as I reached the entrance. Too anxious to wait for any stupid automatic function, I heaved open the heavy doors. The woman at the front desk had just hung up the phone and turned to look at me.

"Dean Wells! I'm looking for Dean Wells!" I practically yelled at her. The phone beside the receptionist rang again. She raised a finger at me and started to reach for the reciever.

"Don't you dare pick that up," I ordered her angrily. Yes, I was aware how I was manipulating her; and at that moment, I couldn't have cared less. Quil obviously was aware of what I was doing too because he gripped my shoulder gently. I shrugged his hand off ignoring the cautioning gesture. I continued to order the woman,"Get on your computer and tell me where I can find my brother Dean. Now."

The woman calmly turned to her computer and typed a few letters into her keyboard. "Room eleven, through those doors," she said and pointed to the set of red doors on my right.

"Thank you," I said curtly then rushed through the doors.

Quil at my heels, I glanced at each room number as I went until we reached room eleven. Through the glass panel in the door, I could see Dean asleep on the bed. He looked ten times worse than I had after my attack. He was stitched up all across his face, and much of his body was covered in wet, white strips of cloth. Carlisle and the many nurses in the room were wearing sterile gear. When I caught Carlisle's eye ,he exited the room and stopped into the smaller room before the hallway to strip off his sterile gear and wash off. It took a minute or two, but finally he stepped out into the hallway with me and Quil.

"How is he?" I asked, finding it hard to keep my voice from faltering.

''He's bad Muse," Carlisle answered in a very serious tone,"He had some deep lacerations, one nicked an artery. He lost a lot of blood. He has a broken leg and wrist. And somehow he has third degree burns on thirty percent of his body." I threw my hand over my mouth to hold back a sob.

I managed to choke out, "But he'll be okay?"

Carlisle gave me a sympathetic smile. "Physically he'll recover...eventually. He'll have a great deal of bad scarring. Mentally..." He trailed off.

I looked past Carlisle to look at Dean again. Despite his condition, he looked so peaceful. Unfortunately, this did not alleviate the sick feeling in my stomach.

"I'm so sorry Dean," I whispered to myself. I looked back up at Carlisle. "Can I see him?"

He shook his head. "He is extremely prone to infection right now. We're keeping him in a sterile room until his wounds are healed up. Also, I'm keeping him in a medically induced coma for a few weeks, so he won't have to suffer through the worst of the pain. He'll heal faster that way."

I couldn't hold back a few tears that formed as he explained that I wouldn't see my brother for weeks.

"He will be safe here Muse," Carlisle assured me, "He'll be under 24 hour care, and a member of my family will always be nearby."

This did not make me feel much better. After all, Nathan had already gotten past the Cullens once. A phone rang from Carlisle's white medical coat, and he answered it.

"Edward?"

"She's here."

"I'll tell her."

"Let me call you back in a few minutes Edward."

He hung up so he could speak to me. " Edward and Jacob will be waiting for you back at your house Muse."

I nodded and looked in on Dean once more. Then I turned towards Quil who put an arm around my shoulders.

"Let's get you home," Quil said, and we left the hospital. When we arrived at my house Jacob rushed to the car door to help me out. I walked with him up to the house and found Edward waiting for us both in the living room. I collapsed back into the couch and began sobbing into my hands. I felt Jacob move in next to me. I only cried for about four or five minutes before it began to let up, but I hadn't even finished when I started asking questions.

"What happened?"

"We chased after them, but one of the girls, Anya I think, she started sending waves of pain through Emmett and Jasper and Seth. The Asian vamp turned and went after Embry and me. We got some seriously nasty burns out of the deal. Nathan and the others escaped while we were distracted. And the two left fighting us managed to get more of a head start while we were down. We followed the scent but when it spread out we couldn't risk splitting up,not with so few of us."

Jacob had said he'd been burned. I frantically began inspecting him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jacob promised.

"Edward?"

"No damage here."

"What do I do now? Dean..." I threw my face into my hands. "What do I do? He'll be in the hospital for weeks."

"He'll be safe," Edward said gently.

"Maybe," I whimpered reluctantly, "But what about me? I can't stay here alone. And what do I tell people happened to Dean?"

"I'll take care of the Dean dilemma," Edward promised.

Jacob tightened his arm around me. "And you won't be alone here babe. I'll stay here with you, and anytime I can't, Edward or Alice or one of the pack will be here."

I looked at each of the two boys. It was hard not to feel a teeny bit relieved about that.

"But why do they want me? Weren't they thinking anything Edward? Who's Nathan's master?"

He shifted uncomfortably and scowled at the ground. "I don't know. They were all being very deliberate with their thoughts. Too deliberate. I'm not sure how. The only thing I know for certain is that they know what you can do."

"It's my fault," I said, now looking guiltily at Jacob, "Shawn is dead because of me."

"It's not your fault," Edward said before Jacob could argue the same thing, "That I did see. Nathan was going to find a reason to kill one of the boys."

I felt myself starting to fall apart again. _I can't lose it. What good will it do? _Instead, I pressed my lips together, sucked in a deep breath, and forced myself to calm back down.

"I'm tired," I told the boys. Edward nodded and left through the front door without another word. Jacob stayed seated beside me on the couch.

"Jake?" He looked at me. It was the first time I'd really looked at his face since the dance. He was in pain. And I knew him well enough to know that he would feel it was partially his fault that Shawn was dead and that Dean was critically hurt. "I'm not sure how to do this. How do I keep on acting normal? Go to school? Do homework? Sing in the musical? When everything's so messed up."

He looked at me sympathetically. "You lie. You act. And you do what you have to do to keep yourself safe."

I leaned into Jacob knowing that was exactly what I would do.

**Up Next: ****Chapter 13- A Deal With the Master . **** A big thanks to all those who commented on my story so far. I love hearing what you love about it. You're the reason I keep on writing. Can't wait to hear more of your thoughts. **


	13. Chapter 13: A Deal With The Master

**So I wanted to warn my readers that these next few chapters probably won't have much action. But for those who like the sweet, romantic moments, I'm hoping you'll be pleased. **

Chapter 13- A Deal With The Master

The next morning I only drug myself out of bed when the rain outside started to pour down so hard that I had no choice but to go around the house and check that all the windows were shut. I showered and got dressed in a pair of jeans and a marching band t-shirt. I didn't bother with contacts and put on just a touch of foundation and eyeliner.

The kitchen was empty when I finally arrived downstairs. I noticed the huge stack of envelopes on the table. Obviously Dean had neglected to open the mail for the last few days because there were at least thirty pieces stacked haphazardly on the table.

I began sorting through the letters. There was an energy bill, a cell phone bill, some local ads, a few credit card offers, and four letters in a row addressed to me from colleges.

_ Acceptance letters._

I opened the first one from Harvard.

**_Dear Miss Wells,_**

**_We regret to inform you_**...

I didn't really need to read any further. Harvard hadn't been a sure thing.

The next one in the pile was Northwestern in Illinois. If I could get an interview with Oxford I had no doubts I'd be able to get into Northwestern. I ripped open the envelope and unfolded the single sheet of paper.

**_Dear Miss Wells,_**

**_Thank you for submitting your application. However, we ..._**

That was kind of a shock. I had pretty much counted I'm getting into Northwestern.

Next was the University of Iowa. At least they were a top university in many different areas of study. I opened up the envelope and pulled out the paper to read.

**_Dear Miss Wells,_**

**_We want to thank you for applying at the University of Iowa. We regret to inform you however..._**

_What the hell?_

There was no way I should have been turned down by University of Iowa. I scrambled to open up the last envelope barely glancing at the name of the school: University of Minnesota, St. Paul.

I quickly read

**_Miss Muse Wells,_**

**_Thank you for your application to the University of Minnesota. However, all spots at the University have been filled..._**

I didn't I know what to think. _How come nobody accepted me? _There had to be a mistake. Rage at situation started to boil up inside of me. I began tearing the letters into tiny bits and pieces. That's when Jacob walked in.

"What's going on?" he asked as I continued to take my vexation out on the envelopes, "Muse, what are you doing? What are those?"

I contued ripping and answered him. "They turned me down! I didn't get into any of them!"

Jacob snatched up the remaining envelope I had yet to shred. He looked down at the piece of paper and then back up at me. "Are you talking about colleges?"

"Duh!" I snapped.

Jacob reached for an envelope buried beneath some of the remaining mail. I stopped my rampage and looked at the letter he was holding. The return address was from Oxford. I held out my hand and Jacob deposited the letter into it. I opened the envelope, and unfolded the piece of paper. It only had a few lines; which, of course, meant another rejection. I was about to rip up this last letter when I caught sight of a time.

_Why would there be a time if they were denying me acceptance?_

I paused to read the letter.

**_Dear Miss Wells,_**

**_The Dean of Students, Mr. Parisi will be arriving in Jamison, Minnesota on Saturday the seventh of November at 5:30 p.m. He will meet you at your place of residence to discuss your acceptance to our University as well as your scholarship._**

**_Sincerely,_**

**_Miss Penelope Laroux_**

I reread the letter. And again. It didn't make any sense. I had just been turned down by two schools where I should have been a shoe-in, as well as two others where I still had a decent shot. But I was being accepted by a top University overseas and being offered a full-ride scholarship. I fell into one of the kitchen chairs, letting my face fall into one of my hands.

Jacob knelt down on the floor next to me and moved my hand aside so he could look into my face. "Muse, what's wrong?"

"I'm not sure." I shook my head in bewilderment. "Jacob, I don't know how much my brother has told you about me and school and stuff. But I'm smart. I'm not a genius or anything. But I take all of the advanced math and science courses in school, and I still maintain a 4.0. I got a 32 on my ACTs, and I have a decent variety of extra-curricular activities. I should have been guaranteed a spot at most of these Universities-" I motioned to the pile of shredded paper "-but I didn't get into a single one, except for Oxford, a school in England that I didn't even apply to."

Jacob's eyes were gentle and concerned . "Did the colleges say why you weren't accepted?"

I shook my head.

"It could be nothing Muse."

"No. It doesn't make sense."

Jacob took the letter from Oxford and read it too.

"Well, maybe when you meet with this man from Oxford, you'll get some answers."

"Maybe," I begrudgingly agreed.

"You hungry?" Jacob asked.

I shrugged. "I guess." And I couldn't help a small smile that pulled at the sides of my mouth. Of course Jacob would try to use food as a distraction.

Jacob smiled back. "Then let's go because I don't feel like cooking, and I don't think you're in the mood either." I took his hand and we headed out into the rain.

Every day that week, Edward or Jacob was with me at all times. Luckily, there were no sunny days, so Edward and his siblings were able to come to school all week long. Edward came with me to watch us practice for the musical which was this weekend. There was one show on Friday night and one on Saturday afternoon. Jacob came to both shows. Saturday after the show, he handed me a half dozen bright pink roses and kissed my cheek. "You were amazing Muse!"

I beamed at him, cradling the roses. He moved behind me to let more of the town's residents move through the line to shake my hand and tell me what a good job I'd done. Once the crowd was finally gone, the rest of my classmates left to go to the cast party.

"Let's go," I said as I twisted around to grab Jacob's hand. He walked me out to the parking lot and then drove me home in my Jeep. It was four-thirty and Mr. Parisi would be arriving in one hour for our meeting. Once inside, I picked up speed. "I'll be down in a little bit."

"Okay." Jacob said and sat down on the couch, flipping on the television as he did so. I ran upstairs to start getting myself prepared. After I was showered and dressed, I walked down the hall to my room to start on hair and makeup. I gasped as I entered my bedroom to find Edward, Alice, and Jacob all standing there waiting for me. They all had grave looks on there faces.

"What's wrong?" I asked, slowly stepping into the room.

"I had a vision," Alice answered, "We need to get you out of here."

"Why?" I urged, "What did you see?"

Edward answered me, "Muse, you know that my wife Bella was killed?"

I nodded.

"One of the men who had her killed is coming here."

"When?" I clamored to retrieve a large duffel bag from my closet and started grabbing at shirts and jeans.

"I'm not sure," Alice said. She studied me for a second. "Except...I think tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Yes. You are wearing the same outfit that I saw in my vision."

I increased the speed at which I was packing my bag. I grabbed a few pairs of socks and a handful of underwear, a couple of bras, my travel makeup bag._ I could get toiletries on the road_. I shoved a pair of chucks in the bag, my wallet, a picture of me and Dean, and my phone. I grabbed a ponytail holder from my dresser and threw my hair up, still wet, into a bun, with a few loose hairs hanging around my face. "Then let's get out of here," I persisted and slung the bag over my shoulder.

Edward's eyes widened, and he glanced out the window. "We're too late," he informed the room.

I moved toward the window, and a few seconds later a limousine pulled into my driveway. I dropped the duffel to the floor and turned to face Edward. "What do I do?"

Edward was still looking out the window. "You meet with him."

"Hell no," Jacob bellowed, "Over my dead body."

"Please don't say that," I begged nervously.

"He doesn't want to hurt you." Edward told me assuredly, "He's here to talk.

"Talk? About what?" I asked.

"He's not letting me hear that. He's deliberately blocking that information."

"Does he know that we're here?" Jacob demanded stepping forward to place a protective arm around me.

Edward shook his head slowly. "No, he knows that we've been here. But he doesn't know that we're here now."

"Then let's keep it that way," I said as I moved over to my dresser and started to quickly apply a bit of makeup.

"No way!" Jacob yelled at me, "I'm going down there with you."

"No, you're not," I commanded as calmly as I could, brushing on a bit of mascara at the same time, "I'm going to pretend like I have no idea what's going on. I will act like I don't know who he is. I will act like this is just another normal college acceptance meeting." I smeared on a bit of pink-tinted lip gloss.

"In that case, you're going to need these." Alice handed me a pair of dress gloves. They were short and made of black cotton. I stared at them disapprovingly. Alice sighed and thrust them into my hand. "Aro can read all of the thoughts you've ever had if you touch him. Thus...the gloves."

I slipped them on. They looked very fitting with my outfit, a black, pleated skirt, a black camisole, a black and purple checkered business jacket, and some clunky black heels. If I was lucky, he wouldn't suspect anything. Below us, the doorbell rang. I turned without a word to my friends and ran downstairs. I answered the door, and there standing on the front porch was a middle aged man of average height, with almost translucent white skin. He had long, jet black hair, and his eyes were a striking purple color

"Good Evening. You must be Musette." His voice was silky and inviting.

"Yes. Good evening Mr. Parisi," He offered his hand to me, and I gave him my right to shake briefly then stepped back and gestured him inside. He moved so smoothly, he could have been floating above the ground. He gracefully lowered himself into the recliner. Before I sat down on the couch, I thought it best to act as hospitable as possible. "Would you like something to drink Mr. Parisi?"

He smiled. "No thank you, Miss Wells, though I do appreciate the offer. Let's just chat for a bit shall we?"

"Of course." I plastered a smile on and sat down kitty-corner to him.

Aro sat with his back completely straight and his hands folded across his lap. "I wanted to meet you Muse and offer you a place at my home in England."

"You mean Oxford?" I asked feigning interest.

His smile widened and his eyes grew more amused, "Now Muse, we don't need to pretend that you don't know what I am. I know that you have friends like me."

I opened my mouth to speak and he held up a hand to silence me. I obliged.

"However, I know that you are very special Muse. And that is why I am here."

"Special?" I asked curiously, "You mean my gift?"

"Oh," he chuckled, "It's so much more than that Muse. You have no idea."

I wrinkled my forehead. "What do you mean?"

His eyes brightened. "Muse you aren't human."

"What are you talking about? I am human. I just have this...this ability."

He tilted his head a little to study me. "Oh no my dear. You are a wonderful creature, but you are not human."

"Then what am I?" I demanded.

"You my most precious little thing, are a siren."

I stared at him doubtfully. "A siren? You mean those ugly sea-monsters that sing to sailors to make them crash their ships?"

"Ah, yes, that is what lore says doesn't it," he chuckled again, "No no dear. Real sirens look just like you, pretty women, who can force others to do what they say just by giving a direct order."

I sat for a moment in silence, trying to make sense of this new information. I'd momentarily forgotten just how frightening the vampire across from me seemed.

"What do you want from me then?" I asked still trying to process our conversation so far.

"Why I want you to come join me in England Musette. I want you to join my family."

"You want me to move to England and live with you?"

"Very much. You would be so much stronger with me."

"How's that?"

"A hybrid siren would be probably the most powerful creature I've made."

I suddenly felt sick. "You want to turn me into a vampire?" I stuttered. I felt all the color drain from my face.

"Of course." He exclaimed.

I sucked in a deep breath to compose myself. "And if I don't?"

"Then I'll start killing even more of your friends and family. You may have lost your parents and that little Hispanic friend of yours, but there are plenty more."

I licked my lips and tried to keep my voice even, "When?"

"Soon."

"Could I have some time?" I asked, holding back the fear in my voice.

His smile dropped. "Time? What for my dear?"

"My brother is in a coma; I need to say good-bye. And I should really finish high-school, so I don't look like I just disappeared."

He studied me, trying to decide if I was hiding something. "Hmm... I suppose some time could be arranged since you seem to be willing to agree to join me of your own free will."

I nodded. "I would like to have at least until after the new year. I will have enough credits by then to graduate, and Dean will be out of his coma."

Aro smiled again, "You are much more reasonable than I thought you would be Muse. I find that refreshing. I will send someone to come pick you up on the second of January next year then. Until that time, I will make sure to have a couple of my children check up on you regularly." The creepy old vampire stood and offered his hand to me once more. I stood and took the hand. We shook and then Aro glided by and stopped at the door. "I will see you soon Musette." And he disappeared out the door. The limousine pulled out of the driveway, and I listened to it hit the pavement of the highway then pick up speed.

A fraction of a second later, Edward and Jacob came thundering down the stairs.

"What did you do Muse?!" Jacob bellowed as he gripped my arms angrily.

"Ow Jake! Stop!" I tried to pull away, my eyes hot with angry tears, "I had no choice." I looked up at his face, pleading.

After a moment, he let his hands fall to his sides. His face stayed hard. "I knew I should have come down with you," Jacob said.

"Rash as usual," Edward sneered at Jacob, looking downright livid.

Jacob flew at Edward, and Edward shoved Jacob against the wall so hard that he cracked through the drywall. Edward's eyes glowed with ferocity. Jacob shook himself off and stood up. "You want her to be a vampire don't you? You think if she was like you things would change. You think she'd love you instead of me," Jacob accused.

"How dare you," Edward sneered.

I watched this all unfold as my frustration grew and grew. "Enough!" I yelled at the two of them. "Stop fighting! You're acting like idiots...selfish idiots!"

Both men cringed and looked over at me, then at each other. Their faces calmed and they relaxed.

"Good," I said, "Now, I'm going to be selfish for a minute. Because I'm scared out of my mind. I'm still processing what Aro just said, and I don't have any idea what to do now." I took a deep, shaky breath.

Edward and Jacob both looked guilty now. Each looked like he wanted to approach me but wasn't sure if he should. I looked over at Edward. "Did you get any new information from his thoughts?"

Edward shook his head. "He's trained himself not to let his thoughts drift or go too deep. The only things I know for sure is that he believes you're really a siren, and his offer is completely legitimate."

I nodded my head. "So what now?"

"We should go talk to Carlisle."

"Where did Alice go?" I asked, suddenly realizing her absence.

"She took off the moment you made your deal with Aro," Edward answered, "I didn't even get a chance to listen to what she was thinking."

I had no idea what that could mean, but it wasn't good. "Okay. Well, I'll go get dressed and we can go see Carlisle." I hurried up the stairs and into my room then slammed the door behind me. I walked over to the closet and rummaged through the clothes then walked away. I stared at my computer for a moment, then my dresser, my window, my bed. I walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. My breathing sounded as loud as tornado in my ears. I looked around the room blankly. _Did I seriously just make a deal to become a vampire? What choice did I have? He would have killed everyone_. I stared at the floor until there was a knock on my door. The sudden sound made me jump and pulled me out of my almost-trance.

"Come in," I said.

Jacob walked through the door leaving it open a crack behind him. He walked over to the bed and knelt in front of me. "Muse?" Jacob's face creased with worry.

"Sorry." I ran my fingers through my hair and closed my eyes. "Kinda needed a moment to freak out. I feel like I should just start getting used to being in life-threatening situations surrounded by monsters, but it's just as terrifying every time."

Jacob pulled me into his arms and spoke softly in my ear. "Muse. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

I didn't have the strength or the will, at that moment, not to believe him. I needed to believe that everything would be fine otherwise I might just lose what sanity I still possessed. I nodded into his shoulder then stood up again and walked over to the closet. I pulled a long-sleeved, black cotton shirt out then walked over to my dresser and grabbed a pair of skinny jeans. Jacob stood watching me and waiting. Once I had gathered a new ensemble, I motioned for Jacob to turn around. "You don't get to see none a this."

He pouted and turned around.

"At least not yet," I added. I caught sight of the surprised smirk on his face which made me smile.

After I was dressed and tying on my high-tops, I told Jacob it was safe to turn around.

He gave me a once over. "Much better."

I raised an eyebrow. "You didn't like what I was wearing?"

He shrugged. "Dressed like that you look far too professional and smart to be with someone like me."

I grinned. "Well, to be completely honest, I hate dressing all business-like. I'm still trying to find a good job where I can wear sweats all day."

He chuckled. "That's hot!"

"Shutup."

"No seriously. That is totally hot."

I shook my head and we headed downstairs. We arrived back in the living room to find Edward and Carlisle standing there.

Carlisle was such a gentle, compassionate man. I hoped that one day I would have the chance to see him happy and not looking so grim.

"How's Dean doing?" I asked immediately, knowing that Carlisle checked in on him every morning and evening.

"He's healing. Slowly. A few more weeks and he'll be allowed to wake up."

I nodded.

"Edward filled me in on everything so far."

"I'm so sorry Carlisle," I murmured shamefully.

He gave me a sympathetic look and shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for Muse. You handled yourself well, and you bought some time."

"Yeah but time for what?" I asked hopelessly.

"To figure out how to stop Aro," Edward answered.

"Edward. I can't have you all risking your lives for my sake."

Edward put a hand on my arm."There is so much more to this than you know Muse."

I looked up questioningly at Carlisle. He nodded. "Yes. We have to stop Aro for the sake of our family and of everyone else."

"He said I was a siren," I commented to Carlisle, "Is that true?"

Carlisle wrinkled his forehead. "I'd heard stories...myths about other creatures. But it was never certain if any of them were true. Edward says that Aro truly believes that is what you are, so I am inclined to believe it as well."

"You know," Jacob spoke up, "it would make sense."

Carlisle and I looked at him questionably while realization dawned on Edward's face.

Jacob continued to explain, "When you give an order, others do what you say. And in Greek mythology the sirens, they would sing and tell sailors to sail close to them and the sailors would do it. It's kinda the same right?"

_It is. It did make sense except.._. "But sirens were supposed to be ugly mermaid sea-creature things."

"And vampires are supposed to burn up in the sun, have fangs, and sleep in coffins," Edward pointed out.

"Point taken. Okay so I'm a siren and Aro wants to make me into a hybrid vampire...so what do we do now?"

"First, we're going to get as many allies on our side as possible," Carlisle instructed, "I've already got Alice and Jasper started on that. Rose, Esme, and Emmett are going to keep James and Dean safe. And Edward and I will be joining Alice and Jasper as well. Jacob, you should go talk to the Uley pack and see if they are interested in helping. And once we've got our numbers, we'll work on a plan."

Jacob nodded.

Carlisle headed for the front door, "Keep me updated."

"I will," Jake assured him.

And Carlisle disappeared across the lawn.

"What about me?" I asked the two boys.

"You'll have to go with Jacob," Edward stated matter-of-factly, "Carlisle and I may have to do some traveling."

"Go to Washington?" I asked a bit taken aback.

"Is that alright with you?" Jacob asked.

"I guess. I'm just worried about leaving Dean and all my friends." _And I was a little afraid of not being near Edward_.

"We'll keep them safe," Edward said.

"Yeah. That's worked out well so far," I snarked.

A tortured look spread over Edward's face.

I immediately felt horrible for my statement. "I'm sorry. I kinda lash out when I'm stressed. Yeah, I'll go to Washington. I need a vacation anyway," I joked a little morbidly.

Jake smiled and Edward nodded solemnly before heading out the door without a word.

"Wait here," I told Jacob and followed Edward out to the sidewalk. "Please wait Edward."

He stopped mid-step and turned to face me. "Muse.." He warned.

"Oh! Sorry 'bout that. I guess if you don't want to wait, go ahead and take off."

He didn't budge, so I continued, "You just took off without a word. Aren't we friends? Doesn't that warrant a goodbye?"

"Yes," he said, "it's just, it gets so confusing with you Muse. I thought I had feelings for you. Then I thought I just wanted a friend. Now I find myself wishing that you had asked to stay here with me instead of heading off to Washington with him. It doesn't help that I can hear your thoughts either. You know, occasionally you think things about me. Like inside just now. You were thinking that you wanted to be near me.

I frowned. _How could he put me in this position? Especially now with everything that's going on?_

Edward's face fell even more. "I'm sorry Muse. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

"Edward. You're one of my best friends. I care about you, and you make me feel safe...as crazy as that sounds. If things were different, then I don't know where we would stand. But I have to know, can you handle just being my friend?"

"For now," Edward answered. He walked over to me. "Be safe. And I'll see you soon," Then Edward bent to kiss my forehead. He chuckled as he stood back up.

"What?" I asked suspiciously.

"The dog doesn't like it when I kiss his girl."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "See you soon Edward." I waved as Edward took off into the trees near my house. Jacob waited for me at the front door, letting orange light spill out onto the front walk.

"Guess I'd better get packed then," I announced as I walked past Jake into the house, "How long do you think we'll be gone?"

"A week, maybe less."

"'Kay."

Jake trailed behind me up the steps and into my room. My duffel bag was still sitting on the floor, stuffed full of random clothes. I dumped its contents out on the bed and began repacking more carefully selected outfits.

Jacob made a couple of phone calls while I packed. I didn't even bother to try to listen in. Edward's admission had taken me by surprise. I wasn't even sure how to feel about it. I felt sad that I couldn't return the feelings and nervous about losing his friendship and deep, down a little pleased that he felt that way about me.

After I was done packing, I texted James. I needed to make sure he wouldn't become suspicious about my disappearance from school for a week. I couldn't lie and say I was sick; he might try visit me.

_**Hey! I'm gonna go spend the week with my grandparents. Could you get all my assignments e-mailed to me?**_

Yeah, it was still a lie, but my only living grandparents lived down in Texas; so James couldn't try to check up on me even if he did question my validity.

_**Sure. Why you goin now?**_

_** Just need to be with family for a bit.**_

_** K. Miss you.**_

_** Miss you too**_.

Jacob was off the phone by then.

"So when do we leave?" I asked.

"Esme booked us on a 3 a.m. flight out of Minneapolis. We have a bit of a drive before that. We'll want to leave in about an hour ."

"So much for a good nights sleep."

"No kidding. I still have to go pack, so we better head over to my place"

"'Kay. You mind if we pick up some food on the way to the airport? I am so hungry."

"Absolutely."

Seth and Embry were packing themselves when we got to the pack's house. I assumed Quil was already in LaPush with Claire. Hard rock music blasted from the living room, and as I passed each bedroom, I looked in. (Hey, the doors were wide open.) Embry was dividing clothes into two heaping piles on his bed, though the reason for each pile was a mystery since his duffle bag already looked overstuffed. In the room across the hall, Seth was on his knees on the bed playing air guitar with his eyes closed. Jacob went ahead to his room while I waited for Seth to finish. When the song ended, I started yelling and applauding. His eyes popped open in surprise.

"What the-? Muse!"

I laughed. "Sorry couldn't help myself."

He smiled cunningly. "You so have it coming."

"Uh-huh. Bring it pup," I taunted.

"You did not just call me that!" He chucked a pillow at me, but I wasn't fast enough. It caught my shoulder. I laughed and ducked out, continuing down the hall to Jake's room.

Jake had a beaten-up black and red duffel bag open at the end of his unmade bed. A few pieces of clothes were strewn across the wood floor. The only pieces of furniture in the room were a a bed with no frame and a large dresser from which Jacob was currently retrieving a pair of sweatpants. I sat down next to the duffel bag and peeked in. He'd already packed some jeans and socks.

"Are you excited to go visit everyone back in Washington?" I asked as I watched Jake pull a pile of shirts from his closet.

"Yeah. Of course it'd be nice if circumstances surrounding the visit were different."

"Tell me about it." I flopped back on the bed.

Jake stepped across the hall to grab his toothbrush and some hair gel.

"My dad was excited to hear I was coming home."

"Of course he was." I smiled as he zipped up his bag. He helped me up and slung the bag over his shoulder in one motion, and we walked hand-in-hand back toward the front of the house. I noticed that Seth's pickup was gone now, so he must have left already.

Before leaving town, we stopped for gas and grabbed some sandwiches, chips, and soda to eat on the way to the airport. The radio blasted on high-volume; I couldn't even hear myself think about the past few hours, a huge relief as far as I was concerned. We parked at the airport two hours before our scheduled flight which gave us plenty of time to get through security and get checked-in. Our duffels had to be checked, and then we found our gate. I napped on Jake's shoulder while we waited to board.

Jacob shook me awake when they called our seats. I followed him onto the plane and claimed the window seat for myself. Surprisingly, I was wide awake now that we were about to take off for Washington.

"I think I'm nervous," I told Jake.

"Why?"

"What if your dad doesn't like me or Sam doesn't like me or anyone for that matter?"

He smiled. "Why in the world would you worry about that?"

"Well, because of what I am...you know. A siren."

"Muse. Your talking about a bunch of werewolves and their families. The fact that your a siren won't matter. They only care about who you are."

"But-"

Jake didn't let me continue. "And who you are is the amazing woman who I've somehow fallen in love with. And I have no doubt that's exactly what everyone else will see."

I was speechless.

"Now you should try to sleep. It's already three."

I chuckled. "I don't think I can. I'm wide awake. And I'm still anxious about meeting everyone. What are they like?"

Jacob spent the whole flight describing everyone in La Push, answering questions and telling stories. By the time the plane landed, I knew everyone I would be meeting. Jacob and I navigated the airport to find a rental car desk where we had a car already reserved for us.

Jake threw our bags in the back seat while I climbed into the passenger seat. We'd barely made it out of the parking garage before I'd fallen asleep against the car door. All too soon, Jake shook me awake.

**Up Next: Chapter 14- La Push. Thank you so much to my readers who've commented. I love hearing your thoughts. Please keep reviewing. :)**


	14. Chapter 14: La Push

**Hey readers! I was so excited to have a few chapters back in La Push with the packs. Again, not much action here, but hopefully you'll enjoy...**

Chapter 14- La Push

"Muse. We're here."

I looked out the window. It was dark and drizzly, but through the drizzle I could see a few streets lined with houses, some with garages, some without. We passed storefronts with touristy items for sale, a drugstore, a grocery store, a gas station, and a post office. We drove to one edge of town and pulled off onto a gravel driveway that led to a small house. The wooden house was painted a brick red and looked like it had recently been reshingled. An open porch spanned the front of the house, and behind it was a large garage painted the same red color. Jacob parked the car in front of the house. I waited for him to climb out before pushing open my own door. Jacob grabbed our bags from the back and slung them over his shoulder. The door opened as we reached the porch. Framed in the doorway was a man in a wheelchair, Jacob's dad Billy. He had long silver hair that went at least six or seven inches past his shoulders. His skin looked like rough, wrinkled leather and was a shade more tan than Jacob's. His face was spread into a wide smile, and his black eyes twinkled with joy at seeing his son.

"Hi Dad!" Jacob greeted Billy then leaned down to hug him. When Jake stood back up he put his arm around me. "Dad, this is Muse."

"It's wonderful to meet you Muse." Billy opened his arms wide waiting for me to hug him. I smiled and leaned down. His arms went around me and I hugged back.

"It's good to meet you too Billy," I said as I returned to Jacob's side.

"Let's all get inside," Billy suggested, rolling himself back into the house. Jacob pushed me ahead of him, and I followed Billy through a small living room and into a little kitchen. Jacob slipped off down the hallway off the living room and returned a second later without the bags.

"You kids hungry?" Billy asked.

I hadn't really noticed until then, but suddenly my stomach ached with hunger. "Extremely."

"I could definitely eat," Jake said. He walked over to the fridge and opened the door. "All stocked up I see."

Billy laughed. "I had Rachel go to the store in Forks last night after you called."

Jacob smiled and started pulling items from the fridge. "Pancakes and eggs alright?"

I looked at him a bit dumbfounded. "You can cook?"

Jake and Billy laughed. "Yeah. I can cook...a few things anyway," Jake said.

"Oh...well yeah. Sounds good."

"Have a seat Muse." Billy nodded toward the chair opposite him at the table.

I pulled out the chair and sat down, all the while watching Jake mix ingredients at the counter. He looked so comfortable there, and I was in awe.

"So my son hasn't cooked for you yet?" Billy asked, turning my attention to him.

I shook my head. "Though to be fair, he hasn't had much of an opportunity to. I keep a pretty hectic schedule most of the time. And then with everything else that's gone on..." I trailed off.

"Once Rachel and Rebecca left home, we pretty much lived off Jake's cooking and pizza. I ate a lot of spaghetti and breakfast food," Billy chuckled.

"That's not so bad. At least Jake can cook a few things. My brother is pretty much limited to cold cereal and Pop-Tarts. I do all the cooking at home."

"She's really good too," Jacob told his dad as he beat a bowl full of eggs with a fork.

I shrugged. "I'm okay."

"My son's told me a lot about you. He says your a smart one. So what do you want to do after high-school?"

"I don't really know. I usually lie when I get asked that question. Because most of the people in my life expect me to do something huge and important, like be a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer or something -"

Jacob had stopped his food preparation for a second to listen. This was something he'd never asked me either.

"- But really I just want to do something that I'll enjoy, that's rewarding. And whatever it is, I want to have lots of time to spend with my family. Because I want lots if kids." I'd realized what I'd just said (without fully thinking it through ahead of time) and I felt my face heat up.

Billy smiled and nodded slowly. I peeked over at Jacob who had gone back to making breakfast, now with a look of pure joy and contentment spread over his face.

"Jacob was right," Billy looked impressed, "You are very smart."

I looked down at the table, trying to mentally force the blood out of my cheeks..

"Everyone is very excited to meet you," Billy offered.

"Really?" I looked up again, all embarrassment faded.

"Yup. They all can't wait to meet the girl that Jake can't shut up about."

"Dad!" Jake scolded lightheartedly.

I laughed. "I'm excited to meet them all too. When will I get to?"

"This evening," Billy answered, "We're having a bonfire down at the beach."

"Of course," Jacob said as he used one hand to flip pancakes and the other to turn bacon.

Billy asked me a few more questions about back home while Jacob finished breakfast. After we'd all dished up, Jacob took my place in the conversation, asking his dad about family and friends. Once I'd cleaned my plate, Jacob took the dishes and deposited them in the sink.

I tried to stifle a yawn, but Jacob caught me in the act. "Dad and I can handle clean-up. You can go lay down for awhile babe. My room's the first on the right."

"Thanks." I turned and headed down the small hallway and into Jacob's room. It looked like Jake hadn't redecorated since grade school. Spread across his bed was a set of dark green Hulk sheets and a matching Hulk comforter. His wall was plastered with posters of The Avengers, a couple of old hard rock groups, and cars...lots of cars. I kicked off my shoes and climbed under the covers. Seconds after my head hit the pillow, I was asleep. A couple of dreams later, a knocking sound brought me back to the real world.

"Jacob? Muse?" Billy's voice called through the wooden door.

"Yeah?" I called out, now noticing that somehow Jacob had fit himself between the wall and me on his tiny twin bed.

Billy called back. "Bonfire starts in an hour. Might want to get up."

"'Kay. Thanks Billy." My voice sounded slurred and groggy, but I felt a bit more rested now. I moved Jake's arm off me and slid off the bed. Jacob had placed our bags in the corner, so I grabbed the mine and headed across the hall to where I'd seen a bathroom earlier. I showered and dressed, then dried my hair and pulled it back into a half ponytail. I put on some makeup and my contacts and repacked everything back in my bag. When I returned to Jacob's bedroom, he was awake and waiting on the bed.

"You're turn," I said, depositing my bag on the floor, "Do I look okay?" I looked down at myself. I'd put on a pair of blue jeans, a plain blue baby doll tee, a pair of pink and black chucks, and a bright pink hooded sweatshirt with black letters that said 'Grant High Girl's Soccer'.

"You look gorgeous." Jake stood, holding a change of clothes in one hand. He put his other hand behind my head and pulled me in for a kiss.

Then Jake took his turn getting ready. While I waited, I looked at the few photos sitting on his desk. One was of him as a young boy with two other young girls and a pretty woman who I guessed were his sisters and his mom. Another was of him as a teenager (with long hair, I might add) gathered together on a beach with two other boys who looked a lot like Quil and Embry, only with longer hair and much skinnier. I picked up the last picture. It was of Jacob looking much like he did now. He had a beautiful little girl on his back; Jacob and her were both smiling open-mouthed as though they may have been laughing at the time. I picked up the photo. The girl looked about three or four, but at the same time older than that. Her skin was snow white, and she had a round face and long, curly bronze hair. Her eyes were brown, and her tiny lips and cheeks were rosy pink. She was the most beautiful little girl I'd ever seen. The longer I stared at the picture, the more obvious it became...you could plainly see the resemblance to Edward.

"Renesmee," Billy's voice confirmed my thoughts aloud. He startled me, and I fumbled with the photo, placing it back on the desk.

"I figured." I continued looking at the photo.

"Has he told you about her?"

"Only a little. Him and Edward haven't said much. I know that Jacob cared for her a lot."

"That's definitely putting it lightly."

Then I turned away from the photo, and smiled. "So everyone will be there tonight huh?"

Billy nodded. "The packs, the wives, kids, imprints, and the elders."

"Imprints?" The word caught my attention. It made no sense with the rest of those terms, and I thought maybe Billy had just fumbled his words.

"Hmmm." For the first time since I arrived, I saw Billy frown.

Jacob walked back into the room, showered and dressed in jeans and a plain black t-shirt. "Better get going," he announced, "I'll drive."

I walked with him as he pushed his dad outside to the rental vehicle. He helped Billy into the passenger seat then loaded his dad's chair into the trunk while I climbed into the backseat. I filed away my questions about what imprints were until after the bonfire.

We arrived at a small beach where there was already a decent sized gathering of people, most of them copper-skinned like Jacob and his dad. I saw Embry talking with Quil and a young girl who looked barely older than me. I also spotted Seth with.._no it couldn't be_...but it was. He had his arm around Chelsea...from Jamison.

I noticed all this while Jacob was helping his dad into his wheelchair. Jacob then grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the beach. "Jacob?" I dug my feet into the ground.

He stopped and turned to look at me. "What's Chelsea doing here?"

"Seth invited her," he answered me smiling.

"But they've ...I mean...I didn't even know they were dating yet."

His smile lessened a little, "I'll explain it to you, but can it wait?"

I considered this for a moment. "Fine," i answered reluctantly and continued walking with him toward the crowd of people. Most, if not all, of the heads turned when came closer. My nerves had revved up on the way over, but I managed to smile as a Quielete man walked forward to stand in front of us. He looked to be in his late thirties or so.

"Jacob." The man greeted and hugged Jake.

"Hi Sam."

_So this is the leader of the other Quielete pack_. Sam looked to be about six and a half feet. He had cropped black hair that was beginning to go gray in some places. His facial features were hard, and the aura about him screamed "Leader!"

"Sam," Jacob said, stepping back to put an arm around me, " This is Musette Wells."

Sam stuck out his extremely large hand for me to shake. "It's very nice to meet you Musette."

I took his hand, which was just as hot as the other wolves' I'd met. "Thanks. It's great to meet you too Sam." I smiled and calmed a bit as I noticed that the look on Sam's face, as well as everyone else's, was friendly and warm.

A woman, about the same age as Sam, walked up beside him. She swiftly leaned forward to embrace me. "It's wonderful to meet you Musette."

"Thanks," I squeaked and looked up at Sam questioningly. He laughed and so did Jacob.

"This is my wife Emily," Sam introduced the woman as she leaned back. I saw how beautiful Emily was with her satiny copper skin and slightly graying glossy black hair; it made it easy to ignore the three scars that stretched from her hairline down her neck on one side of her face. They pulled down on one eye and one corner of her mouth, but you barely noticed it when she smiled. Two other boys, closer to Seth's age, walked up. They were identical. Both had Emily's eyes, but the rest of their features mirrored Sam's including their height.

"And these are our sons Lee and Jared." Sam gestured to his boys.

Lee had hold of a girl's hand. She was also copper-colored with long black hair pulled back into a french braid, but she only looked to be about twelve years old. _Kinda weird_. Most guys I knew would never spend time with a twelve-year-old willingly nor look so thrilled about it. "This is Lily," Lee introduced her. She graciously surrendered her hand for me to Shake.

"It's nice to meet you Lily." I smiled which got me one in return.

The introductions went on like this for awhile. I met Brady, Brady's girlfriend Vanessa, Collin, Sue (Seth's mom), and Claire (Quil's fiancé)

Last, I finally met Jacob's sister Rachel who was married to Paul, a member of Sam's pack. Rachel did the same as Emily and swept up to hug me. "Muse! You don't know how grateful I am to meet you."

"Me too," I said as she started to let go.

Paul stepped up, barely smiling, and stuck out a hand. I shook it. "Hi Muse."

"Where are my niece and nephew?" Jake asked his sister and Paul.

"We're here Uncle Jake!" I heard a girl shout behind me. Two teenagers, around 13 and 14 came running up and tackled Jacob. He grabbed each of them in one arm. "Hey Uncle Jake!" the girl cried out excitedly.

"Hey Jenna! Hey Cody! How are my favorite troublemakers."

"Awesome!" the boy exclaimed, "Driving Mom and Dad nuts."

"Sweet!" Jacob laughed. I noticed Rachel roll her eyes and smile warmly as she watched their reunion. "Hey you two." Jacob let the two kids go. "This is Muse."

Both of them turned to look at me. "Hi Muse," the girl greeted me.  
The boy leaned into Jacob, trying not to let me overhear, "Uncle Jake, did you imprint again?"

"No," Jake whispered, then put a finger to his mouth to let Cody know he needed to be quiet. _Okay! This was ridiculous_. Jacob was trying to hide something from me, and I wasn't putting up with his secrets. Jacob, took my hand. "Well, I think you've met everyone."

"What's an imprint?" I asked, keeping my voice low, but Rachel and Emily, who were behind me, overheard.

"Aw Jake! You haven't told her!" Rachel scolded.

I started to feel anxious. _What could be so bad?_

"You better tell her," Emily instructed Jacob

"What should Jake tell her?" Sam asked, having walked in on the conversation.

"He hasn't told her about imprints," Emily explained.

Sam gave Jacob a disapproving look.

"We'll be back," Jacob sighed, many of the other boys turned as he said this, giving me the impression that they'd probably all heard the most of the exchange. Jacob led me down the beach about a hundred feet. There were a couple of large boulders for us to sit on. I sat and waited for him to speak.

"Imprinting is the one part of being a werewolf that I haven't told you about yet. I wasn't really trying to hide it; it just didn't pertain to you, so I didn't see where there was any hurry. Though, I probably should have told you before tonight." Jake rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

I folded my arms and nodded for him to continue.

"You see when we become werewolves, sometimes we will imprint. Basically, the best way I know how to describe it is like a soulmate. We find that one person who becomes our whole world. We love them so much that nothing else matters, and we become whatever they need at the time."

"Whatever they need?"

He nodded. "For example, Quil met Claire when she was only two. He imprinted on her then, but he didn't love her like I love you. His love for her was that of a big brother, the best big brother in the world. Then he was her best friend in the world, as she got older. And now they're engaged."

"So is Chelsea, Seth's imprint?" I asked, beginning to understand.

"Yes."

"Does she know what Seth is?"

"Yes."

I paused to think. *Wait...*

"But I'm not your imprint. So have you?"

"Yes...but she's gone." He waited for me to come to some conclusion.

I thought for a moment, but it didn't take long before it hit me. "Oh! Renesmee."

"Yes." He frowned. I stopped to think some more.

"So do you risk imprinting again?"

"I don't think so."

"But you don't know?" I verified angrily.

"No."

I'd never felt so betrayed in my life. "But that means that even though you're with me, someday you could imprint on someone else."

"No Muse-" he started to argue.

"Yes. You could because you don't know. And, " My voice rose, and I jumped up. "And apparently this means that you were never really meant to be with me. You already had a soulmate. So then what does that make me? A rebound? Someone to pass the time until you imprint on someone else?"

I glared at Jacob. I expected him to look angry or guilty. In fact, he just looked helpless. "You are so much better Muse. Don't you see that?" he pled.

"See what?" I demanded, glaring at him.

"I didn't get to choose who I imprinted on. None of us do. I never even wanted to."

I interrupted him there. "Yes, but it's obvious to anyone how much they love each other."

He raised one thick, dark eyebrow."And you really don't think love like that exists elsewhere?"

"I-" My words caught. Of course I believed in soulmates, true love, or whatever you wanted to call it; I'd seen it before.

Jacob stepped close to me and I looked up to get a clear view of his now smiling face. "Muse. I get to choose you and you get to choose me. Maybe you're not my imprint, but I'd be the dumbest person on earth not to believe your my soulmate. I love you more than anything in this world Muse, and I swear on my life that will never change."

His words overwhelmed me. I was so happy and so ashamed at my own reaction. I felt tears prickle my eyes, and I smiled. And at that moment I knew without a doubt...

"I love you too."

As soon as I said it his whole face lit up. He lifted me and kissed me. I heard cheering and whistling from way down the beach, and I broke the kiss abruptly.

"Oh no," I whispered, hiding my face in his shoulder, "How embarrasing." I kept my voice low.

Jacob laughed. "It isn't. They're family, and most of them have been here one way or another."

I nodded and leaned back to look at his face. It was still glowing. I kissed him again then wriggled my way back down to the ground. "We'd better get back," I groaned, seriously not looking forward to the inevitable teasing which was bound to ensue from some of the boys.

Jacob chuckled again. Everyone at the bonfire watched us as we made our way back down the beach. As we approached, I noticed a couple of the guys chuckling and Paul was just about to open his mouth, but I stopped him. "Nobody says a word," I warned jokingly, some of the group laughed. But the smiles on the packs' faces faltered. Paul opened his mouth and cringed. The laughs of the others died quickly. I gasped as I realized what I'd done. "Crap! I'm sorry. You can all say whatever you want."

"What the hell?" Paul gasped .

"That was really creepy!" Jared said.

I grimaced.

"What's wrong?" Chelsea asked.

"Yeah, why do you boys look so alarmed?" Emily scanned the group with motherly concern.

"You mean you didn't feel it?" Sam asked his wife.

"Feel what?" She looked at him confused.

"It doesn't work the same on humans," Jacob told Sam.

Sam nodded.

"What's Jake talking about?" asked Lee.

Sam looked around at each of the members of his pack. "We'll discuss it later."

The grouped calmed down and Jacob had me sit next to him in the circle. We squeezed in between Billy and Quil and Claire.

"I'm sorry," I whispered in his ear.

"It's alright babe," he calmy whispered back, "I know you didn't mean it."

The group ate a smorgasbord of hot dogs and chips and s'mores. They told stories and jokes. I laughed and answered questions that were asked of me. I even told the story about the first night Jake and I kissed. I regailed to the group how I'd pretended to read a book just to sneak glances at him and how I'd totally biffed it climbing out of my treehouse. They all laughed. However, I found myself unable to ignore some strange, wary looks from Paul, Brady, and Collin.

Once the food was gone, the packs quieted and everyone turned to look at Billy. "When our people first came to this land..." I listened in silent fascination. A couple of times I noticed Jacob watching me out of the corner of my eye, but I was so tuned in to Billy that I never once looked back. The stories were sad and beautiful only made more so by Billy's deep, rough voice.

The fire had died down to an orange glow by the time Billy finished. I noticed that most of the children in the group were asleep. Chelsea, who was tucked under one of Seth's arms, looked as fascinated as I felt. Clusters of people started to leave quietly. Jacob stood, and I followed his lead. Sam beckoned Jacob over to where he was standing.

"Be right back," Jacob said and walked over to the other pack leader. I watched as they exchanged hushed words. It only took a few seconds before Jacob returned. Billy was already waiting up by the car.

"You kids ready?" Billy smiled as we approached.

"Sure Dad," Jacob answered. Once we reached the house, Jake and I said goodnight to Billy then sat down on the living room sofa. Jake stole into the kitchen for a moment and returned with a couple of sodas. I took mine and cracked open the top.

"So what did you think?" he asked plopping down next to me.

"That was amazing," I answered him smiling, "And everybody here...they're all great."

"Even Paul?"

"Even Paul." I chuckled and took a sip of soda. I sighed and looked out the window at the moonlit lawn. "For at least a little while I forgot the big pile of crap I'm in." I turned back to look at Jake. He was frowning now, as was I. "I don't wanna lose you. Or any of this."

"You won't," he assured me, "That's why we're here. We are going to take care of this. We are going over to Sam and Emily's tomorrow to discuss the situation."

He stroked the side of my face and I couldn't help the small smirk that pulled at the edges of my mouth. His touch was so warm and calming.

"We should get some sleep," Jacob said. I nodded and followed him into his room. I quickly made a visit to the bathroom to slip into some pjs and brush my teeth. When I got back to Jacob's bedroom, he was already sprawled across the bed snoring. I found space enough for me to snuggle in, and within a couple of minutes, I was snoring too. (Really. I do snore sometimes.)

The next morning I hurried through the shower; dressed in jeans, a purple Grant-High drumline t-shirt with a black long-sleeve undershirt, and my black high-tops; applied some makeup; and threw my hair up in a messy bun while it was still damp. Jake showered and dressed once I'd vacated the bathroom. While I waited, I checked my phone and found a text from Edward.

**Hi. How's it going?**

_**Good so far. I think we're going to talk to Sam's pack about joining us today. I'm nervous**_.

**Don't be. One way or another, it will be okay**.

_**Maybe**_.

**Carlisle and I are already working on a plan**.

**_What_**?

**I'll explain when I see you**.

_**:( I hate waiting**_._ Damn. Edward could definitely take that the wrong way_.

**You won't have to wait too long**.

**_K_**.

There was a pause in our exchange. I started typing again.

**_Jake told me about imprinting. He told me about Renesmee_**.

**Oh?**

**_I was mad at first_**.

**Yeah. But not now?**

**_No_**.

Another pause. Then another text came from Edward.

**I miss you**.

I frowned at the text. I missed him too, but I hadn't thought about it much. Being away from him wasn't hard or painful, further proof that I definitely didn't love him, at least not like Jake. I texted back.

**_See you soon. :)_**

**Ok**.

Jacob walked into the room as I buried my phone in my back pocket. "Are you finally ready?" I teased knowing full well, he'd only taken about half the time I did.

"You're one to talk." Jake tackled me onto the bed. He started tickling me, and I squealed for him to stop between laughs. I tried to wriggle away, but it was useless to fight his grip. Finally he dipped his head low enough that I could kiss his neck. He stopped tickling me when I kissed him. I tried to escape again, but he gripped my wrists and held me down. He looked smug now, and henleaned forward and kissed my neck. I breathed in a sharp breath. He continued placing kisses gently above my collarbone. I felt every part of me start to heat up (and not just because of Jacob's wolfy body heat). Jacob's phone ringing interrupted us before things could get any further. (Which was probably for the best anyway.)

He answered the phone, and without waiting for the person on the other end to speak, said, "We're on our way." After he'd hung up, Jake gave me one more quick kiss and then helped me off the bed. "You ready?" he asked me.

I slipped on my old cheerleading jacket, taking a couple of deep breaths as I did so . "Ready."

I followed him down the hall where we passed Billy who was reading the paper at the kitchen table.

"We'll see you later Dad," Jacob said, opening the front door to let me go ahead of him.

"Sounds good."

Billy waved us off as Jacob steered the car out onto the road. We drove through the town past most of the houses and came to a grouping of trees. Hidden behind the trees was a small house, maybe a little bigger than Billy's place. It was painted a light blue with white shutters on the windows and a white front porch with a couple of rocking chairs. There were about six vehicles parked haphazardly across the driveway and lawn. I shook my head at the scene and smiled.

"What?" Jacob asked, having caught my reaction.

"Just good memories. This is usually what my place would look like anytime Dean or I had a bonfire."

I walked up to the house with Jacob. He opened the front door and let me in ahead of him. The front door led into a small living room with a couple of brown couches and an old flat-screen television. Just off the living room was a kitchen, the kitchen had old off-white appliances and solid oak cabinets. In the center of the kitchen was a long, oval oak dining table.

All the members of the pack I'd met the night before were scattered around the place in chairs, at the table, on couches, and on the living room floor.

"Hey Jake! Hey Muse!" Collin greeted us right away. He'd obviously forgotten his suspicions from last night.

"Hi Collin," Jacob nodded.

"Hi," I said to the room. Emily and Chelsea were there too. Chelsea was seated at the kitchen table beside Seth, and Emily bustled around the kitchen preparing food, enough to feed a small army it looked like. I slipped away from Jacob and walked over to her.

"Is there anything I can help with?" I asked.

She turned to me looking surprised then smiled. "Can you scramble eggs?"

"Sure. No problem." I took the spatula she offered me and stood in front of the gigantic iron skillet where there were at least three dozen beaten eggs. I moved the eggs back and forth in the pan as they cooked and watched Emily crack another couple dozen eggs into a bowl and beat them. "Salt and pepper?" I asked.

She nodded and pointed to a couple of shakers on the back edge of the stove. I shook in some of each and kept stirring.

"I missed Emily's cooking." I heard Seth say behind me.

"Yeah, she's the best," Quil agreed.

The others in the room voiced their agreement. Emily scooped the cooked eggs into a large bowl, and then dumped the rest of the eggs into the pan for me to scramble.

"Hey Mom!" someone yelled from the living room, "Hurry it up. I'm starving." Emily looked over at Sam with one eyebrow raised.

"Brady," Sam called back, "You want to take care of Lee's manner problem in there."

"Sure Sam."

I heard some shuffling, a thud, and someone groaning. "Sorry Mom," a muffled voice cried out. The boys in the house all laughed; so did I. I helped Emily carry dishes full of muffins, eggs, sausage, bacon, and biscuits to the table. Us girls dished up first because I was assured that there would be nothing left after the men got to the food. I sat on the living room floor with my plate in my lap. Jacob sat next to me while we ate. Nobody really talked during breakfast; and once we were all finished, Emily made Lee do the dishes since he'd made the smart ass comment earlier.

"Quil's not wrong Emily. That was an awesome breakfast," I said as we sat waiting for Lee to finish in the kitchen.

"Thank you Muse. I've had a lot of practice feeding this crowd."

I watched the room. Everyone looked content. A few of the guys, including Jacob, were now talking and laughing at the kitchen table. Seth and Chelsea were in the midst of a whispered conversation. Paul and Embry were having an argument over football teams. The feeling of family in the room was not only obvious but infectious.

"You're lucky to have a big family like this."

She nodded as a dish broke in the kitchen.

"Oops! Sorry mom!" Lee yelled out.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Not sure if lucky is the word."

I chuckled. At that point, Sam and everybody who'd been in the kitchen came into the living room and found a place to sit. The only two standing were Sam and Jacob.

The entire room went quiet. Sam spoke first. "Jacob and his pack have come to request our help with a situation. He has already explained it all to me. I will not force anyone to a decision nor do I want to influence you in your choice. Please listen to what Jacob has to say before considering what you will do." Sam nodded to Jacob.

Jacob addressed the group, and for the first time I saw him as the leader he really was. "There's bad trouble with the Volturi." Growls erupted from some of the men. "And Muse is in some serious danger. Aro is recruiting members for his army, but he's not just creating vampires. He's creating hybrids with other supernatural creatures."

"Other creatures? Like what?" Brady asked.

"It seems that there are more than just vampires and shapeshifters out there. But I'm not sure exactly what others."

"So why is Muse in trouble?" Jared looked at me.

"Muse is a siren," Jacob answered. All eyes, except for Jacob's pack, landed on me. I consciously avoided their stares.

"Aro wants her for his army, and he's gone to great lengths to get her to join. He's already had two of her friends killed and critically injured her brother. He's threatened to kill more if she doesn't agree."

"How many of these hybrids does he already have?"asked a very irate looking Paul.

"We're not sure. We know for sure of five."

"What is so special about them?" Brady questioned.

"These creatures have abilities, most of them offensive. But as vampires the abilities strengthen; they become more powerful, more dangerous."

"And Aro wants Muse because she's a siren," Lee interjected, "What can she do?"

"She did it to us all last night," Sam answered for Jacob.

Everyone thought for a moment then, one by one, realization dawned on their faces. "She told us not to say a word and we couldn't speak," Quil answered aloud for the group.

"I tried to, and my throat felt like it was on fire," Paul said.

"But I didn't feel anything," Emily said.

"It works differently on humans," I finally interceded, "For humans, it's just like extreme persuasion. You just didn't desire to talk. For werewolves and vampires, it causes pain if they try to fight a direct order from me."

"Gotta admit. That's freakin' awesome," Brady said.

"Yeah sure. Except that sometimes I forget what I'm capable of, like last night for example. And if I wasn't like this, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"That's where you're wrong," Sam disagreed, "Aro would still be building up an army. We just wouldn't know about it, which would be more dangerous. He may have plans to retaliate for the members of the Volturi we killed."

"Not to mention," Jacob added, "He and his hybrids don't seem to be as interested in following the rules. They've been slaughtering people without much concern for exposure. They are going out in public, in large group settings without hiding who they are."

"Are the Cullen's involved?" asked Collin.

Jacob answered, "Yes, they are concerned as well. They're preparing to go up against the Volturi. I'm not sure what they have in mind. But if you join in this fight, we will be fighting alongside them." Nobody in the room looked very happy about this piece of information, but nobody really looked angry either, with the exception of Paul.

"Do you have a plan yet?" Embry questioned Jacob.

"Not yet. I needed to see where our numbers would be before we decided on a plan of action. So who is going to help us?" Jacob scanned the room. I watched the men anxiously as they thought to themselves.

"I'm in," Seth said aloud, "Those bastards killed my sister, and I want the chance to rip 'em to shreds."

"I'm in." Embry nodded.

"Me too," Quil agreed.

"I'm fighting," Collin said

"Definitely," Brady volunteered

"We're in," Lee and Jared said in unison.

"If Sam's right, these bloodsuckers may come after us and everyone we love. I'll fight to protect this place and my people," Paul announced.

Everyone nodded. "I think it's agreed. We are all going to fight," Sam said to the room.

"What about the others in your pack Sam?" Quil asked.

Sam nodded, "Daniel, Brett, and Travis moved away. I will inform them of the situation. But again, it will be their choice to join in this fight. I'll make a few calls." Sam walked out the front door and I saw him immediately get on his phone.

A huge wave of relief flowed through me as I realized that things had just took a turn for the better. _Maybe we can win this fight_.

Beside me, Emily stood and silently walked back into the kitchen. With a house full of wolves, she probably spent a good portion of her days in the kitchen. But the serene look on her face made it clear that she didn't mind.

"Anybody up for some video games?" Lee asked the group.

"What game?" Seth asked.

"Mortal Kombat?" Lee suggested.

"I'm in!" I offered holding my hand out for a controller.

"Really?" Jared stared at me in surprise.

"Heck yeah. I've gotten pretty good at Kitana and Jade."

"Alright then. The Siren's in. Who else?" I shot a glare at Lee for that comment. He laughed.

"I'll play," said Seth.

"Me too," Jared snatched up a controller.

"Us too," Embry volunteered himself and Quil.

"I'll watch thanks," Chelsea said.

"Collin?" Lee asked.

Collin frowned. "I've got a shift in twenty minutes. I'll see you folks later."

Paul followed Collin, "I gotta get to work too."

"I'm workin the same shift as Paul," Brady said, stretching as he stood up. "See y'all later." The three left out the front door as the rest of us yelled our good-byes after them.

Jacob had slipped into the kitchen during all this. I caught his eye and smiled; he smiled back.

"Let the games begin!" Lee announced and hit the power button on his Xbox.

**Up Next: Chapter 15- Joining The Fight. I really want to hear what ya'll thought about the chapter and/or the story so far? How did you like seeing the pack members and some new faces? What did you think of the moments between Muse & Jake? Thanks again for all your support. :)**


	15. Chapter 15: Joining The Fight

**Well, finally managed to get Chapter 15 finished. Enjoy**!

Chapter 15- Joining the Fight

Jacob's POV

I knew I needed to call Carlisle and let him know that our numbers were definitely looking better, so I followed Emily into the kitchen. I listened as Muse enlisted herself in a Mortal Kombat competition with the packs. Emily busied herself pulling ingredients from the fridge.

"She's a gem," Emily told me as she tied an apron around her waist.

I nodded. Muse looked over at me, and we exchanged smiles. Everything about her lit up when she smiled, really smiled. "She's the best thing that could have ever happened to me."

Emily pulled out a large cutting board and a chopping knife. "She seems to fit right in too." Emily also glanced over into the living room where everyone sat yelling while Jared and Muse mashed buttons on their controllers. The fight ended quickly and Jared yelled out in triumph while Muse huffed and handed off the controller to Seth.

"This is the happiest I've seen her since we first met," I admitted.

Emily didn't miss the worry behind my words.

"Jake. Everything will work out."

I nodded in response and opened the back door. "I'll be back in a few." I strolled out into the yard. It was cloudy and cold outside, and it looked like it might start raining soon. I pulled out my phone and dialed Carlisle's number.

It rang once before he answered.

"Hello Jacob."

"Hey Carlisle. I just wanted to update you on the packs' status. So far there are ten of us willing to fight. But Sam is getting hold of the other three wolves in his pack as well. I'll let you know when we hear back from them too."

"That's good. The packs will be a huge asset."

"How are things going with you guys? Not that I'm sure what you're doing."

"Don't worry Jacob. Things are definitely looking up. We've been tracking down some old allies and some new ones. So far the vampires willing to help are Eleazar, Carmen, Garrett, Kate, Kachiri, Zafrina, and of course the Romanians."

"You mean Draculas one and two."

Carlisle chuckled. "That would be them."

"Still, that leaves our numbers at only twenty-five."

"We're working on that. But we have another issue."

"What?"

"The two guard members that Aro left behind are getting suspicious. They went to check on Muse. When she wasn't at home, they called the school, but all the school said was that she was visiting family."

"What do you propose we do?"

"Normally we would just kill them, but chances are they have to report back to Aro regularly. We can't risk Aro heading back over here and abandoning his agreement with Muse."

"Won't he do that as soon as they tell him she's missing."

"I doubt they'll report back that she's missing. Aro is not forgiving to those that make mistakes. And losing Muse would be a big one."

"Good. We will be back in a few days anyway."

"Alright. I'll talk to you later then Jacob."

Just then the back door opened and Muse peeked out. When she saw me, she bee-lined across the yard to where I was standing. I hung up the phone and folded my hand around hers. Muse's fingers had already turned to ice in just the few seconds she'd been outside. _It must be colder out than I thought_

"Done playing already?"

"No," She smiled and shook her head, "You disappeared. I just wanted to make sure everything's okay."

"Everything's good."

She searched my face for any hint that I might be lying, protecting her from some scary truth. As she did so, I admired the way her thick, dark eyebrows arched slightly and her soft, pink lips pressed together, not smiling or frowning and having lost all most of their gloss during breakfast. Once she was satisfied with what she saw, she looked around at the backyard. Sam and Emily's yard led straight into the woods, and if you looked hard enough, you could see the beach past the trees. One of the nearby trees housed a large treehouse that Sam and his boys had built about ten years ago."I bet this place is a lot of fun in the summer," she thought aloud.

"It's fun all year round."

"Hmm. Maybe for a freakishly warm-blooded wolf." She smirked at the remark.

I laughed. Suddenly a huge gust of ice-cold wind blew past us. I barely noticed, but Muse wrapped her arms tight around herself. "I'm gonna head back inside. You coming?" she asked. The wind picked up again, a few strands of Muse's deep, brown hair whipped across her pale cheeks.

"Yup," I answered her and rushed forward, scooping her up in a fireman's carry.

She giggled and squealed "Jake! Put me down." She pounded on my back which felt like a soft pat to me. I grinned as we entered the house and saw the amused look on Emily's face.

She shook her head, smiling.

"I invited Billy for lunch," Emily said, dumping a huge carton of broth into a large pot on the stove.

"Great!" I set Muse back down on her feet. Her face was flushed, but she was smiling. That smile made me melt; it made my world seem brighter. And I swore that I'd do anything...anything to make sure that smile was still there for the rest of our lives.

"Muse!" Embry called from the living room, " You're turn. C'mon."

"'Kay." She pranced into the other room, and snatched up the remote. At the same time, Sam walked into the kitchen.

"Any good news?" I asked hopefully.

"Brett and Travis will be here tonight. They're going to fight. Daniel is in the military; he was deployed a few weeks ago."

I nodded. "I just spoke with Carlisle. That puts our numbers at twenty-seven right now."

"Do we know how many the Volturi are?"

"I'm not sure."

Suddenly, someone in the living room shouted. "Muse! Careful!"

My protective instincts took over. I raced into the living room and pulled Muse to my side. "What happened?"

She pushed herself away from me. "It was nothing." Her words were harsh with annoyance. "I just suddenly realized that I suck at video games." She threw the controller which Seth caught before it could hit the wall. Then she stormed out the front door. I saw her look every direction and race toward a section of the forest to the west. Chelsea immediately grabbed a couple of coats off the rack and took after her. I stood there for a second, then turned on Lee. He'd been the one who'd shouted at Muse.

"What happened?" I barked.

He shrugged, "She's a chic man. They're all a little crazy."

I snarled low in my throat. Lee shrank back. Then Quil spoke up. "Settle down Jake. Muse and Lee were playing, and she told him to slow down. She wasn't being serious. It was an accident you know? But he didn't have a choice. That's why he told her to be careful...with her words."

"Yeah man," Lee muttered, "Sorry. She caught me off guard."

I looked back out the front window. I didn't see Chelsea or Muse anywhere. "I'd better go find her." I marched out the front door and headed in the general direction that Muse had gone. Chelsea was already headed back toward house.

She paused when we got closer. "She said she just needed to cool off, but maybe you can help calm her down."

"Yeah," I nodded and continued walking until I reached the edge of the woods surrounding the house. I found her leaning against a large tree about thirty feet in. She looked over as a branch cracked underneath my left foot.

At first her look was vicious, but once she saw who I was it shifted. Now she looked guilty and embarrassed. I approached her slowly, unsure if she actually wanted company. She was huddled up in Emily's fleece coat. The dark blues and greens made her look even more like a white winter angel than usual.

"What was that all about Muse?" I asked innocently.

She banged her head back against the tree. "It's just that...I don't know. It's just...it's wrong you know."

"Not really babe. What's wrong?"

Muse huffed and continued, "Inside just now. I told Lee to slow down. It was just gaming talk, but it was something I would normally say. Just playing and joking around; I've always done it. Just that...before, it's always been around other humans. So I probably only ever won those games because they unknowingly did what I said-" She kicked a rock in anger and it flew into a nearby tree "-which begs the question. How much have I gotten just because I used this stupid ability. Did I ever really have friends? Did I ever really win a game? Did I ever actually have a valid point in an argument?"

"Of course you did Muse. Your friends love you. You have a whole house of friends right over there. And you really are smart, so I have no doubt that you've rightly won plenty of things."

She looked away and folded her arms, "I hate being a siren. I mean what the fiery hell?! Because I'm a siren everyone I care about is in danger, I made a deal with a damn vampire, I'll hurt my friends if I slip up in what I say, and people are dead Jake. Because I'm a siren, they killed Carmen and Shawn." Tears pooled in her eyes, daring to fall.

I stepped close to her and placed my hands on her shoulders, looking her directly in those brilliant green eyes. "Don't ever blame yourself for what those evil bloodsuckers did to your friends or to your brother."

Her head fell and she stared at the ground for a few moments. She quickly wiped the moisture from her eyes. Then, out of nowhere, her head jerked back up, and she looked at me eagerly. "I know what I can do. I can help."

"Of course you can," I told her, reaching out for her left wrist. She was already helping by showing the packs what type of situation we're in. She was so smart; she could help with planning and maps and everything else. Why would she think there was a question there?

"Jacob," she spoke slowly, calmly, "I'm a siren. I want to use my ability to help fight."

I frowned and shook my head gravely. "No, Muse. You can't."

"But-"

"You have no clue what you're saying. You don't stand a chance against the speed and strength of a vampire, especially one who feeds on humans."

"I know that!" she insisted, "But Jake...I can use my abilities to help. I wouldn't have to put myself in danger."

"Muse-" I mentally fought to contain the rage her idea had unleashed in me.

"No Jake!" She shouted. Then I watched her outwardly calm herself before continuing. "Jacob Black. This is not your personal vendetta. There are a lot of people involved in this, and you are not the only person who gets to make the decision here."

Muse pulled out her phone.

"Are you calling Cullen?" I said with a harsh tone of betrayal.

"Yes," she answered matter-of-factly and scrolled through her contacts, then hit Carlisle's name. _Oh. Well, that's better._

Edward POV

I heard the phone call in Carlisle's head up in his office. Our guests were all crowded in the dining room, eating one of Esme's most recent culinary creations while I tediously navigated an airline website on the living room computer, reserving enough seats for ten of us.

"Hello?" I heard Carlisle answer. In his head I'd seen the name he'd spotted on the screen before answering. (_Musette Wells)_

_Why's she calling him? Was something wrong? If something was wrong, why wouldn't she call me?_

I tensed in my chair and listened to the conversation through Carlisle's thoughts.

"_Carlisle?"_

"Yes Musette?"

_"I need your opinion on something."_

_"Let me talk to him." _I heard Jacob say in the background.

"What is it Muse?" Carlisle asked.

_"Put in on speaker." _Jacob demanded.

_"Fine."_ Muse huffed. "_But let me talk first."_

I heard Jacob growl quietly. I smiled to myself. _Of course, he would have to do what she said_.

Muse went on. "_Carlisle. I was telling Jacob how I think I could help when you all go up against th Volturi."_

_(This is interesting,)_ Carlisle thought to himself._ (Unlikely though. Edward and Jacob would never allow it.)_

_"Well, you know that I can order you to do whatever I want. If you don't do what I say, it causes you pain right? That could be very useful in a fight don't you think? Plus, Aro made it sound like sirens are very rare, so there's a good chance he wouldn't allow me to be killed. And- " _she paused for a breath, _"- to appease Jacob, we could plan it so I wouldn't need to be in the midst of the actual fighting. I could just be instrumental in your plans up until the actual fighting."_

Carlisle didn't respond right away. He thought._ (Her points had validity. She made a good case, and her abilities would be incredibly useful in a number of situations.)_

It took every ounce of self-control for me not to race upstairs and yank the phone from Carlisle's hands. I had to trust that my father, this man who cared for me more than anyone else I knew (besides Esme) wouldn't put someone I cared about in danger...not after Bella and Renesmee.

Carlisle continued in his thoughts (_Perhaps it could be done. Was this not part of our plan with the others we'd searched out? But we would have to test her strength.)_

"Perhaps..." Carlisle said into the phone.

"_Carlisle!"_ Jacob barked, "_She can't! There'd be no place within twenty miles of that fight that would be safe. No matter what we did, we couldn't ensure her safety."_

_(It would be quite a challenge,)_ Carlisle thought.

_Not just a challenge. Jacob was right. It was an impossibility_.

_"No matter where I am, my safety won't be assured. In fact, I'd probably be safer surrounded by all of you_," Muse tried to point out.

_How wrong she was_.

Carlisle responded to the two-sided argument, "Muse, I will consider including you in our plans. But before I do, you need to test your abilities to see just how much power you really hold. Jake, can you help with that?"

No response.

"Jacob. I promise that I will not let Muse be a part of this unless she can be kept safe."

The thought of putting Muse in any dangerous situation infuriated me. I lost control of myself for a moment. As I listened to their plans to test her, my fists clenched, and I barely registered the sound of the keyboard being crushed into a twisted mess in my hands.

Esme heard it though. She appeared at my back and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Edward what's wrong!?"

"How can he?" I seethed.

"Who? What?" Esme asked anxiously. I looked up at her face, full of worry and concern.

In contrast, my eyes were hard and unforgiving. "Carlisle."

As soon as I uttered his name, he appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "Edward," he warned me coolly.

"How can you even entertain the idea?" I accused, letting the crumpled piece of computer equipment fall to the floor.

"Because we are the underdogs in this fight. We've asked others to fight who are perhaps even less powerful than Musette."

"You can't compare them. Jacob loves her. And I..." I couldn't finish the sentence, not aloud.

Esme gave me a sympathetic frown. She expressed her words through thought. "_Oh Edward I'm so sorry. You love her too."_

"I don't know." I shook my head.

"Edward," Carlisle tried to reason calmly with me, "Tell me this. Isn't it better that we willingly allow her to help? Then we will have more say in where she is and what she does during the fight. It give us more control, so we can keep her safe."

_Of course Carlisle would have to be right. He always is._ And, at the moment, that only seemed to make me angrier than I already was.

"Fine," I grunted, "I'm going hunting."

_"That's fine_," Carlisle thought in response "_I'll have Esme finish booking flights."_

I nodded and took off through the back door, running North toward the large expanse of woods past our backyard.

Esme had said what I'd not allowed myself to say or even to think._ Did I love Muse_?

Painfully, I tried to think back to how I'd felt about Bella. It was different, there was no denying that. I remembered back to when I could hear the wolves' thoughts and the way they felt about their imprints. What Bella and I had...what I felt for her seemed quite similar. Bella's beauty surpassed none in my eyes. Every inch of my being had gravitated toward her, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stay away. Bella had dazzled me. Fascinated me. I had wanted her; hungered for her as a monster at first, then as a man.

With Muse it was different. She was pretty, and each time I saw her, those features grew prettier. Her blood did not appeal to me the way Bella's had which made it easier to spend time with her. And I could read her mind, which was normally a huge turn-off. But like Bella had been, she was good, pure of heart. The worst insult I'd ever heard in her head was th first day we'd met. She'd called me an "asshole"? In one of her daydreams. I laughed at the ridiculous, unimportant memory. Muse was also very mature for her age. She was smart, but also incredibly humble about it. She loved her friends and her brother despite their many annoying flaws, and she tended to overlook most trivial issues.

Not that Muse herself wasn't flawed. She was a person after all.. Well sort of. Her emotions tended toward the extremes, and occasionally she acted upon these emotions. And I was learning that she could also be quite stubborn.

Muse did fascinate me. _Yes, it was largely because she was a siren, but wasn't I initially fascinated with Bella because of her unique gift as well._

Muse had experienced real pain. She was only eighteen but had already endured a lifetime's worth of tragedy. And I found myself aching to make it all better, to make her smile and laugh again. I wanted her to be happy, and I wanted it to be me that made her happy. _Do I love her? Certainly I must_. _The proof is all there_.

_But do I desire her? Of this I'm unsure._

And perhaps the most important question:_ Does it matter? Jacob loves Muse. Muse loves Jacob. I'd seen it in her thoughts, even before she'd allowed herself to believe it. But I'd also heard her thoughts the last time I saw her...when I'd admitted to her how I felt. A part of her had been happy. She was happy that I felt something more than friendship for her. But what could that mean? And would she feel that way the next time I saw her?_

The scent of a herd of deer nearby disrupted my thoughts, and I was off on the hunt.

Muse POV

I hung up with Carlisle. Jacob looked livid. I couldn't hold eye contact with his accusatory stare.

"I know your mad." I stared at the ground, then closed my eyes . "But Jake, I care so much about Seth and Embry and Quil and Edward and everyone else. And I love you." I peeked back up at Jacob. He still looked angry; however, I could tell it was starting to subside. "If one of you were hurt, and I could have helped stop it..."

"And what if you prove more of a liability. What if because you're there, someone gets hurt?"

I cringed. "Jake, all I'm asking is that we test it out, that you give me a chance. If it won't work, I'll stay behind."

He let out a hefty breath. "Fine."

"Do you need me to leave you alone?" I asked, preparing to take off.

"No."

"Okay." I shoved my hands in my pockets. We fell into that uncomfortable moment after an argument when you both realize that nobody really won because both of you had to compromise and neither was truly satisfied with the agreement.

"You wanna go back inside?" Jake asked, breaking the silence.

"Not yet." I smiled sheepishly. "I'm still kinda embarrassed about my outburst."

Finally, Jacob smiled. "The guys were surprised, that's for sure."

"So much for a good first impression," I moaned.

"Nah. Most of them have girlfriends."

"Yeah but I'm not most girls."

His smile widened. "No. You're definitely not. But I'm also not most guys."

"No," I smirked, "You're not. Which reminds me...There's something I needed to ask you about."

"What's up?"

I thought for a second how to word it best. "It's just. You want to be with me right? Like forever?" I tried not to blush as I asked the question.

He smiled, still with some confusion on his face. "Of course I do."

"But you don't age right?"

"Oh..." Understanding dawned on his face. "Muse. As soon as all this is over, I'll stop phasing. Once I stop phasing regularly, I'll age."

I sighed. That was a huge relief. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Sure."

"How old were you when you stopped aging?"

He grinned. "Initially I was sixteen. But for about six years or so I stopped phasing. So i'm about twenty or twenty-one probably."

"Good." I smiled at him. "'Cause I don't date younger men."

He laughed. "Well if that's true then technically i'm about twenty years older than you."

"You look good for a guy in his late thirties," I joked.

He grinned. "I won't argue with that."

I rolled my eyes, and a car door slammed back at the house. Jake looked around the tree to see who it was.

"We should head back. My dad just got to the Uley's, and we'd better let Sam know what Carlisle and you discussed." His last sentence came out stiff and icy.

"Okay." Before he could head back toward the house, I tugged on his arm and moved directly in front of him. "Jake, I promise I won't get myself killed as long as you do the same because I want you to stop aging for me." I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as I said it.

(Cheesy I know, but better than "...because I want to marry you someday and have little siren puppies with you." Right?)

He kissed my forehead and pulled me against him. "I promise."

"So am I forgiven?" I asked hopefully.

"Not yet. I'm still determined to keep you as far from the fight as possible."

I sighed because I knew that one of us would end up suffering disappointment no matter what the outcome. After he let me go, we headed back to the house. I apologized to Lee, and he apologized to me too. We all spent the rest of the day playing board games until supper. Most of us went home for supper and to get ready for the night.

As we drove to where the packs of werewolves were meeting, butterflies were doing circus tricks in my stomach. I was nervous for a couple of reasons. For one, I was nervous about the reactions I would get about using my siren skills to help. _What if they don't work the way I hope they will_? And, second I was nervous about seeing the boys turn. Yes, I'd seen them in wolf form on Halloween but the adrenaline and fear for Dean had prevented me from really processing everything the way I should have. I stared out the window at the black shadows of trees lining the road.

I was vaguely aware of some twangy country music, the kind I couldn't stand, playing on the radio. Jacob obviously didn't mind it because he was humming along to the tune. The car slowed as we reached the edge of some thick trees. Jake parked the car under a large fir tree and killed the engine.

"We'll have to hike from here."

I nodded. It was only about twenty degrees outside. But Emily had lent me some long underwear to wear under my jeans. Plus I had on a heavy coat, a hat, boots, and gloves. I'd be fine for a few hours.

Everyone else had already arrived at the clearing when we got there. All the boys were in wolf form. Claire and Chelsea were sitting on a large collapsed tree nearby. I headed to go join them, and Jacob slipped off into some bushes to change. I watched him emerge. Jacob was huge, like the other wolves. On all fours, he still stood taller than me and had reddish-brown fur. It was fascinating to watch the scene. All of the wolves were seated facing Jacob and a black wolf, that I assumed was Sam. The packs faces were intent as they sat there silently.

I spent a few minutes entranced by the group of enormous wolves. Beyond Jake and Sam, the only one I recognized was Quil. A loud yawn from Claire brought me out of my reverie. Ilooked over at the two girls beside me. They were both clad in similar attire to myself.

Claire smiled at me, and Chelsea spoke, "Doesn't it sorta feel like a dream?"

I nodded. "Sometimes." I paused for a moment. "So how did you take it?" I asked Chelsea.

"I freaked. He said he had something to tell me, but he didn't know how. So last week, one night, he drives me out to some random trail in the woods outside Jamison and leads me into a small clearing. And then he starts taking his clothes off."

Claire and I both laughed. One of the wolves barked, and Jacob growled at him.

"Anyway..." Chelsea continued, "Before I could bring myself to run away, he changed. I started screaming and crying. He changed back, and when I finally calmed down, he explained everything to me."

I smiled. "And now your okay with it all?"

Chelsea frowned a little. "Well, it scares the hell out of me that this whole supernatural world is real. But I love Seth, everything about him, and I'll learn to accept the rest."

I saw Claire's smile widen as Chelsea spoke.

"What about you Claire? How did all this go over with you when you found out?" Chelsea asked.

"Quils been mine since before I was two, so I grew up in this environment. I've always known what the boys were."

"Really? Since you were a baby?" Chelsea awed.

She nodded. "I know it seems a little weird. But really it was just amazing. For a long time, he was like the best big brother in the world. Then he was one of my best friends and eventually friendship turned to love." She gazed out at the chocolate-brown wolf. I had time now to notice that his face was much lighter than the rest of his body. He snuck a glance over at Claire and winked.

Chelsea and I smirked at one another.

"So when is the wedding?" I asked.

"May."

"That's so exciting," Chelsea said.

It was a weird and amazing feeling. Chelsea and I weren't close friends and neither of us knew Claire very well. But we could all feel the bond that came with being a part of the Quilete family. We kept talking for awhile, about school and jobs and wedding details. I was so engrossed in our conversation that I about fell off the log when a human Jacob grabbed my shoulder.

"C'mon," he said, "We want to test your abilities on the pack."

I hesitated. "O-okay."

He raised one of his eyebrows. "This was your idea remember, besides it's just a test. You're good at tests right?"

"Ha ha." I scoffed and followed him out to where the pack members were positioned in a semi-circle.

"Alright, first we'll start with just one wolf. Paul?"

The dark silver wolf growled and shook his head. Sam snarled at Paul, and Paul reluctantly padded up to me and Jacob. Paul was definitely the largest wolf in the packs.

"Okay now give a command. And mean it okay?"

I nodded and gulped nervously. "Lay down." I told the wolf, with little conviction. Paul slowly bent down and lay in the grass.

"Muse," Jake criticized, "You have to mean it. Put some anger behind it. Remember-" he paused to think about his words"-remember what Nathan did to Carmen and Dean and Shawn."

I felt angry tears prick at my eyes, and I nodded.

"Get up," I yelled at Paul. He yelped and jumped up.

"Good babe. Now Paul, try to fight her commands, give it all you've got."

"Get away from me," I directed him, without hesitation.

He began to whimper and slowly step back. He whimpered louder and moved back more until he was about ten feet away. Then he collapsed.

Sam nodded at Jacob. Jacob turned to me.

"We need to try one more thing. I'm going to give you a command to give the group okay?"

He whispered in my ear. I nodded. Jake stepped back and turned so his back was facing me. He stepped out of his shorts. I quickly looked down. That was more of Jacob than I'd ever seen, and I couldn't let the pack catch me blushing.

I pushed all thoughts from my head except for the anger I had for Nathan and Aro. I quickly looked up, and shouted "Phase!"

All the wolves and Jacob fell to the ground in heaps whimpering and crying out. The sound made my stomach churn. One by one the members of the packs phased. They lay there panting. I turned around so that I wouldn't see any of them sans clothing. Chelsea and Claire were both hiding their eyes as well. A minute later, a human Sam spoke.

"You can turn around Muse."

The men had all retrieved some clothing. Jacob had been a human when I'd instructed the group to phase, and he had not yet phased back.

My curiosity got the best of me; I walked over to Jacob and looked into his face. My breath caught because those dark, dark eyes...they were HIS eyes. And right now those eyes were bright with excitement. I smiled and gently placed a hand on the side of his head. The fur was so soft. "Amazing." I whispered.

I became suddenly aware of the fact that every other person in the clearing was watching us. Feeling self-conscious, I took a step back.

"Okay. You can change back now."

My wolf nodded. _My wolf...hmmm I like that_. And he padded off into the bushes carrying his clothes between his teeth. Moments later Jacob returned to my side, wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Sam spoke to the group, "That's enough for tonight."

Then the packs headed home, Seth and Quil each grabbing their partners on the way. Jacob took my hand, and began to lead me toward the car. My phone rang as we hiked our way through the woods. I fumbled to get my gloves off and dug in my pocket for it. When I'd finally gotten ahold of the phone, it stopped ringing. I kept moving as I checked the missed calls. Distracted by the phone, I missed the huge branch laying across my path. My foot caught on the branch and I went sprawling over the forest floor.

I caught myself with my hands, avoiding any head injuries; but my right knee and my hands seared with pain. "Dammit!" I cursed. My phone had flown out of my hand when I fell. I spotted the still glowing screen. I noticed that Edward had been the caller.

Jacob immediately helped me up. "You okay?" He asked anxiously.

"Yeah, just a few scrapes. I'll be fine," I grumbled, "Could you grab my phone?"

"Sure. Where-" *Crunch*. We both looked down at the spot where Jake had just stepped.

"Aw crap!" I groaned. My phone was now in about ten pieces on the forest floor.

Jake cursed himself

I sighed. "Not your fault, not really. Just get the pieces. I have insurance."

I waited as Jake retrieved all the pieces, placing them in one of his pockets.

"Let's get going." I prodded him. The below freezing temperature was starting to seep through my many layers of clothing.

It was one o'clock by the time we got back to Billy's place, and twenty minutes later we were both fast asleep.

**So readers...what did you think? Please review and let me hear what thou thought!**


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